Amid hustle and bustle, poor vendors earn livelihood on historic Amira Kadal

Srinagar, Dec 10: Hafizullah, a vendor from Kolkata has made the historic Amira Kadal bridge his trading point for two decades now.

An experienced eye-glass seller, he has been earning his livelihood by working on the bridge since 2003. Amira Kadal, a century-old bridge, was built and rebuilt multiple times in the past. The bridge hosts dozens of vendors both local and from outside J&K who sell all items from mobile accessories to clothes, fish, spices and toys.

Hafizullah, like other vendors, said that the spot has been a source of survival for their families for years now.

“It is a good spot, and people from all walks of life walk here. This gives us an opportunity to earn. I am selling low-priced eye-glasses, and the business is good. Over the years this place has felt like home to me. I visit my home in Kolkata just once a year,” he said.

Abdul Rehman, a jewellery seller who hails from Downtown, has been putting his stall at the spot for around three decades. In his 70s, Rehman said that many locals and tourists stop by his stall and buy products.

“As a youth, I worked as a tourist guide and had a good experience of interacting with all kinds of customers. People from every state and abroad, walk through this bridge and give us a business opportunity. The business used to be good, but following the inflation, people prefer to buy essentials rather than decorative jewellery,” he said.

In addition to being a hub of accessories and other items, the place is popular as a fish market too where sellers, mostly women, offer local Kashmiri fish. The fish market over the years has become an identity of the bridge with women lining up to sell freshly caught fish amid the hustle and bustle.

Jiger Maas, an octogenarian fish seller, has been working at the place since the old Amira Kadal used to be functional.

“It was a different world back then with no vehicle and only tongas operating on the old Amira Kadal. As a kid, I used to visit here with my parents, who used to do the same work. It was the time when only local fish were sold in the market. Now we are selling every kind of fish, and till now, our family is associated with the business,” the elderly woman said.

She puts up the stall with her daughter. I have been working on the bridge for over six decades now,” she said.

The vendors, including Jigar Maas said that they have heard about being shifted from the place many times. “But we won’t leave the place. This place is full of hustle and bustle, and a perishable item like fish can’t be sold at a place that is secluded. This is what we do and this is the only job that we know. We won’t survive anywhere else,” she said.

The vendors said that with the passage of time, new vendors are coming and selling various items like Kangris, dry fruits, perfume, spices, and honey and offering services like shoe polish at the bridge.
“You can say it is a mini shopping mall for the marginalised and common people,” said Bashir Ahmad, a shopper who was buying cumin from a vendor at the bridge.

Hailing from Uttar Pradesh’s Sahib Singh is new in the market and has joined the Amira Kadal vendors just a few months back. Coming from a family of perfume sellers, he said that “Kashmir readily accepted me in its fold.”

“Business is good, and customers are very polite. I never faced any problems from the locals here,” he said.

Vendors said that given the significance of the bridge, they want authorities to develop it in a way that it could accommodate the vendors, too. “We will ensure that the bridge will continue its legacy
of being one of the most famous trading points of the city.”