Vendors at the receiving end

The move has not only damaged the small retail business, but spelt doom for nearly 4,000 vendors from the Waghri and Muslim communities, who ran their business on makeshift laaris from Adaninapol to Gujarat Tekra, and from Panjrigar Mohalla to Fatehpura.

Modha Khoda 60, a vendor selling electronic and cane items, said: 8220;I stay at Hanuman Tekri in the Warasia area. Ours has been an old business, which was started by my father. But now, we are not allowed tospread our wares, as the police say that we 8216;spread8217; terror. But here, it is a daily struggle just for bread and butter.8221;

The market attracts around 150 vendors from as far as Dharavi and Manisha markets in Mumbai, Dahod and Panchmahals district. It has also created a separate market for tiffinwallahs: selling puri-bhaji and mouth watering biriyanis in the localities of Fathehpura. Now, with the ban, these tiffinwallahs have lost half of their business.

In the Ranavaas locality of Fathepura, Shabbir Shaikh 60 has been selling biriyani for the last 15 years. He has suffered losses ever since the ban has been imposed. 8220;I am suffering major losses every month after the closure,8221; he said.

Near Shaikh8217;s laari sits a group of vendors from Dharavi. Shahid Pathan is one such vendor. He said: 8220;We come here every week because we see good market in this city with people coming from all strata. We used to earn Rs 1,000 every week mostly by selling clothes and items brought from Mumbai. We are suffering losses after the eviction.8221;

Gita Patanwadi, a woman vendor, said, 8220;I am forced to sell second-hand goods, as my husband has tuberculosis and is weak to earn for our four kids. Can the police make amends for us?8221;