Mumbai: As the Mount Mary Basilica prepares for its annual feast on September 8, the discussion over the allotment of stalls for hawkers during the week-long Bandra Fair held after the feast has turned into a stalemate over a dispute over hiked rents and the decision by the church not to give priority to families that have put up stalls over a few generations. Potential stall owners have not collected application forms and the church has accused some of them of forcing others to boycott the allotment process.
The fair, one of the biggest in the city, starts on the Sunday after the feast day. However, this year, the fair will begin on the day of the feast because it falls on a Sunday. The allotment process, which should have been completed by now, has been delayed because of the opposition from the stall holders to the hike in rentals by the basilica management. Another point of contention is the decision by the church to allot the stalls through a lottery instead of the earlier practice of giving them to families that have been renting the stalls for generations. Around 150 stalls with an area of 100 square feet, each are set up on steps leading to the hilltop church. It is estimated that nearly one million people visit the shrine.
Rupesh Gomes, whose family has set up stalls for three generations, said that the new rule of opening the stalls to any applicant in a process similar to tenders was not fair as this would take away a source of income for families that have traditionally set up stalls at the fair. "This means the old families will be out. The church has done this to reduce opposition from old members," said Gomes, whose family has been selling traditional sweets and black chana or chickpeas bought by pilgrims as sacred offerings.
However, the church said the new rules were needed to maintain impartiality. "If I had a stall earlier I am entitled to it for generations. So that we felt was not fair and so we are opening that process," said Father Sunder Albuquerque, vice-rector at the shrine.
Gomes said the rent increased from Rs 150 per square foot - Rs 15000 for a stall, in 2022 to Rs 350 in 2023. This year it was hiked further to Rs 3000 before being reduced to Rs 900. Stall holders said that even this was unaffordable, saying they spent extra on setting up the stalls.
Albuquerque said that the claims of exorbitant rentals are 'exaggerated'. He said that the church needs the money from the stalls to partially finance the infrastructure improvements at the fair site, including water supply, repairs to the steps on the path, and extra toilets. "We are effectively running at a loss. Our actual cost to break even is Rs 1500 per square foot. We are not shifting the infrastructure cost burden onto them, but sharing it," said Albuquerque.
The basilica said the new rules will be enforced. "Because we are turning tradition or changing tradition, upholding a change we made last year," said Albuquerque. "They are blocking people who are taking the forms. Just a few elements are creating unrest."
Stallholders said they wrote to the Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, asking him to intervene in the case. "We have been told that Bishop Dominic Savio Fernandes has been appointed to look into the matter," said Gomes. "We have been told that the application process will start again on Monday. If the issue is not resolved we will hold a fast unto death near the basilica," said Gomes.
