With Retreat ceremony suspended, traders hit
GS Paul
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, March 11
With the Beating the Retreat ceremony at the Attari-Wagah border suspended in view of the Covid scare, the business of eating joints and small-time traders on the Attari road has been hit hard. The business of bus and taxi operators has also taken a beating.
In the past few years, several gift shops selling patriotic paraphernalia and high-end restaurants have come up on the road leading to the border.
One of the popular restaurants on the Attari road, Sarhad, wears a deserted look these days. Its proprietor, Aman Jaspal, said there had been a drop of 95 per cent occupancy in the past few days.
“I fail to understand the reason for suspending the Retreat ceremony when people in large numbers are visiting religious shrines. The Retreat ceremony was the lifeline of trade, providing employment to local people. If it remains suspended for an indefinite period of time, the social fabric of the border area will be tarnished,” he said.
For other traders, the situation is no better. Take the case of an elderly couple, Jaswinder Singh and Nirmal Kaur. They had to close down their kiosk of ‘masala’ tea and noodles temporarily.
“We made good money, which was enough for the two of us. A majority of our customers were tourists. Ever since the Retreat ceremony was suspended, not a single customer turned up at our kiosk. Even truck drivers don’t ply on the Attari border because of slump in trade between India and Pakistan,” Nirmal Kaur said.
A resident of the district’s Gharinda village has a similar story to tell. “Be it the war-like situation or suspension of trade between India and Pakistan, traders suffer the most. I used to earn between Rs500 and Rs1,000 daily. Now, I don’t open the kiosk,” he said.
BS Rawat, DIG, BSF, Amritsar sector, said: “As per the advisory of the Union Ministry of Health, the entry of spectators to watch the Retreat ceremony not only at the Attari-Wagah border, but also at Hussainiwala (Ferozepur) and Sadiqi (Fazilka) was suspended on March 7 till further orders.”
