Gurgaon's Banjara mkt wears deserted look

Gurgaon: Gurgaon's famous Banjara market attracts thousands of customers every day throughout the year. The popular market has also seen surge in new vendors as well who have lost their livelihood due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Shanti Devi, a 60-year-old gypsy seller from Tirki basti of Gurgaon, joined the Banjara Market to sell ceramic items in June this year. Unlike the sellers at the central location of the market, Shanti Devi says that customers do not flock the newly extended site of the bazaar.

"We used to work as blacksmith and were in the same line of business. But now that there is no demand for metal items, we had to resort to selling ceramics here at Banjara market," Shanti Devi says. The shopping space is famous throughout the Delhi/NCR and Gurgaon region, with thousands of residents flocking to buy items such as rugs, home décor, antique items at throw away price. 38-year Mohit, who originally hails from Bhiwandi, Rajasthan, came to Delhi in 2017. Till 2019 end, Mohit worked as pantry boy at Jindal Intellicom Ltd, but did not continue with the work due to low pay. But 2020's catastrophic wave of Covid-19 rendered Mohit jobless.

"I worked as a daily wage laborer at IFFCO Chowk during last years' lockdown period. Once the lockdown was lifted then I was again jobless. There have been days when my three children and wife had meal only one time a day," Mohit.

Mohit also tried his hand to work as night guard at Rockland Facility and then as Zomato delivery executive for a few months. As of this year, he set up his own shop at the extended lane of Banjara market hoping to have a steady flow of income.

"We come from Gadia Lohar caste which comes under Schedule Tribe section and yet we have never received any benefits or assistance from the government. We hardly get any customers some days. No one has come to assist us with vaccination as well," he said.

More than 30 new shops have become a part of the Banjara market in the past 6 months. With over 200 shops, most of the shopkeepers do not have their own bank accounts and instead give their daily earnings to an individual who returns their money 'with interest'.

Mohit explains that most sellers here hail from Rajasthan and do not hold an identification card from Gurgaon. "We all give our money to Sandeep bhai who comes from Manesar. He keeps all our money with him, our daily earnings, and then gives back to us with 2 per cent interest. He sometimes gives us loans as well," Mohit explained.

Unlike Mohit, Kiran and Khairul, who sells rugs at the flea market, say that they earn just enough money to live hand to mouth.

"We do not give our money to any money lender or financial service individual. We came from

Kolkata, West Bengal in 2013 hoping to have better income, but ever since last year, we do not know what to do to earn for a living. We've worked as daily wage labourers and were dependent on people's donation for ration," said 35-year-old Kiran.

Kiran and Khairul are now considering going back to Kolkata as the work prospects have diminished for them. "We came to know that Kolkata government gives some money directly into bank accounts of people, who are below poverty line. It would be better to go back home and be with our parents than stay here with no guaranteed income," Khairul said.Post-pandemic, several people lost livelihood and turned vendors, but struggling to make both ends meet as sales were worst hit