The holy month of Ramadhan marks the end of Eid-al-Fitr around the globe. In our valley, the festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy. Every year, men, women, and children from different districts flock to markets in large numbers. People buy confectioners, groceries, and clothing for the festival. This year the markets have lost hustle and bustle due to the skyrocketing prices. Meat, chicken, fruits, and vegetables which are daily requirements are being sold at high rates. Sellers don’t keep discounts on food and other items whereas the other states and UTs provide relaxation during multiple festivals. As soon as Eid arrives, the shopkeepers in our valley sell Eid stuff at extremely expensive prices. The shopkeepers scold the consumers when they ask for some concession. Here we need to understand that their rude behavior is making a bad impression on the general public. That is why people are not ready to visit markets frequently. The so-called shopkeepers are also family men but they fail to understand the financial weakness of people. The post-pandemic phase has badly impacted the poor sections of society. It is unfortunate that parents are not able to buy things for their children on Eid. Hence, shopkeepers must be very kind to the consumers on the coming Eid. They must keep offers so that a poor person participates in Eid festivities. Some people have very low incomes and large families to feed. This year, consumers have a lot of expectations that Eid items will be sold at reasonable rates. We must support each in times of trouble. Not only the rising prices but the covid outbreak is also a hurdle in the way of this festival. So far, there has been no covid restriction. People are roaming freely in markets without fearing the pandemic. While visiting markets, our team members noticed people without masks. Even educated people were not following the covid measures. It seems that people are not taking the pandemic seriously. The team of Goodmorning Kashmir requests to keep their distance in crowdy markets and use hand sanitizers frequently to stay away from infections. The Jammu and Kashmir police is doing well in many areas. We hope that they keep an eye on the violators so that this pandemic doesn’t spread anymore. Moreover, on the eve of Eid, youngsters must start distributing food and clothing packages to poor families. They should try to reach people as soon as possible. We must make sure that every single person enjoys this festival happily. Supporting each other in happiness and sorrow will build trust bond with each other.
