Rising prices dampen the festive spirit

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The busy Mint Street in Sowcarpet lacks festive spirit on the eve of Holi as road side vendors braving the hot sun were anxiously looking for customers.

Rising prices, exams and fear of ordinary colours causing skin irritation has dampened the enthusiasm among many of the buyers.

N Suresh Kumar, a shopkeeper in the busy Mint Street, feels the sale have not been good this year. “We have invested Rs 15,000 for buying the colours. Last year the return was 25,000 but now if we get what we invested, it would be a big thing,” says Kumar as few customers visit him.

He feels the new budget and rising prices have taken away the enthusiasm. Pointing to the piston in the shop, he says, “This water piston was costing Rs 20 last year now it costs Rs 40. This has resulted in people feeling shy to buy the pistons,” he says.

Interestingly, although synthetic colours are available but people still go in for ordinary colours to cut costs. Sushma who has come along with her sister to buy some colours in Sowcarpet is wary while selecting the ordinary colours sold by the street cendor. “My brother will be buying the synthetic colours during the evening,” she says.

Interestingly, there is also a presence of fake colours in the market. Some colours are mixed with glucose and salt, a shopkeeper confides.

Interestingly, the lack of festive fervour is also blamed on gated communities. Most of the north Indians from Sowcarpet or the traditional north Indian areas have migrated to far off places as a result they play in their homes.

J Parasmal of Prince Paradise in Vepery blames the rising prices for the lack of festive fervour in the shops. But he says Holi will be celebrated. All the communities will celebrate the festival in their flats. “We have organized a even and celebrations will start from 8 am to 2pm,” says Parasmal.

Similarly, various sections like Agarwals, Daga and others would also be celebrating the function with their communities in Anna Nagar, Purusaiwalkam and other areas.

Interestingly, the festival of colours has been one of the major festivals of the north Indian community and is ranked next to Diwali. “It was Sowcarpet where all the north Indian communities congregate but now the place is slowly losing the charm due to migration of north Indians to far off places in the city and the collapse of joint family system,” says Sharma.