Free food inside is bad news for vendors outside

While the tempo inside Ramlila Maidan,where Anna Hazare is fasting for the Jan Lokpal Bill,is upbeat,the same cannot be said about that of the vendors outside the venue.

Reason: The protest has attracted thousands of Hazare supporters,but not many have given vendors outside the Maidan the kind of business they are used to as the volunteers have arranged for free food and water.

Mohammed Shabir,who sells pineapple slices said his sales have been hit.

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I usually make anything between Rs 400 and Rs 500 a day,but here I have only sold pineapples worth Rs 150,said the worried vendor.

Naresh,a chana vendor is usually happy with his earnings,but not since the past few days. While normally pocketing Rs 150 per day,he has been making a meagre Rs 50 since Anna began his hunger stir.

People are not interested in my snacks because there is free food and water inside,he said.

Following the dip in his earnings,Naresh is uncertain if he will return to Ramlila Maidan till the Hazare wave is over.

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I support Anna and feel he is doing the right thing for the country. But how can I let my family starve?,he said.

Umveer,is one of the few vendors outside the masive ground who has a smile on his face. He sells cold water and lemon juice and the humid conditions has ensured that there is no shortage of customers.

(The reporter is a student of Express Institute of Media Studies)

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