Shaheen Bagh market reopens after five months, struggles to keep pace

New Delhi: The Shaheen Bagh market has reopened after five months and is struggling to keep pace despite the festive season.

It was on December 15 that the Shaheen Bagh market was closed as women blocked the roads in the longest sit-in protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens for Assam (NRC) that lasted more than three months. However, the lockdown further forced the markets to remain closed until things eased a little.

The market has reopened but with fewer footfall. With Eid around the corner the market which has more than a 100 branded showrooms moving at a snail's pace.

"Our work has been hampered for more than five months now. It has been a huge loss to the traders here at Shaheen Bagh who have showrooms. The supply chain has been affected and it would take another two months for the market to pick up its pace," said Dr Nasir, president of the Shahen Bagh Market Association.

The market on the Road number 13A near Delhi-Noida connecting road near Kalindi Kunj is a major shopping hub for people in Delhi. With the sit-in protest, the business in the market received a major setback and the Corona crises further amplified the agony of the traders and the supporting staff at the market.

"There has been an estimated loss of one crore for me since the shop has been shut. I got the woollen garments from the textiles mills days before the protest started but the shop got shut. The customers are also not coming either because of the safety concerns or travel restrictions. Both ways the traders would suffer," said Ansar Ahmed, a showroom owner at Shaheen Bagh market.