Jawad (Madhya Pradesh): Amid Eid festivity when the markets in other towns and cities witnessed a heavy rush of shoppers, a pin-drop silence prevailed in Jawad markets. Local traders continued with the old practice of keeping their establishments closed on Eid even as Akshay Tritiya was also being celebrated on the day this year.
Even as a number of marriages were scheduled to be solemnized on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, the traders did fall into temptation of doing brisk business by opening their shops on the day.
All the business establishments in the local markets remained closed on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr here on Tuesday. Though, this was not the first time when the shutters were down in markets on Eid, this has been happening since 2015. Even as Akshay Tritiya and Eid-ul-Fitr were celebrated this year on the same day, the traders continued with their decision of keeping their establishments closed.
One of the traders on condition of anonymity said neither it was declared bandh nor had anyone forced them to keep their shops closed on the Eid. The traders had mutually agreed upon keeping their establishments closed on the festivals of minorities to express their solidarity and also as a mark of protest after some miscreants had pelted stones on a procession during Hanuman Jayanti at Khurra Chowk on April 3, 2015, he said, adding that since then the locals markets remain closed on all festivals of the minorities.
Tension had prevailed in the town following the stone pelting incident in which several people including cops were injured. Curfew had to be imposed in the town. The police had later arrested the culprits, but since then the traders have been keeping their shops closed on Eid voluntarily.
On many occasions, the†administration tried to develop a consensus among the traders to keep the market open, but to no avail. When contacted by sub-divisional magistrate Rajendra Singh, "Many times there have been attempts to make a consensus regarding the opening of the market, but it could not be reached. Discussions will be held with the traders to open the market again. The police force was deployed in view of the festivals."
