SRINAGAR: There was a time when people would love to explore his transparent briefcase containing embroidery and hosiery items. Now, in his 80s, he hardly finds any one to buy his products.
A resident of Khanqah-e-Moula locality in old city of Srinagar, Ali Muhammad Bhat has been working as a street vendor, locally known as Saudagar, for the past 50 years. The itinerant vendor has traveled across the length and breadth of the Valley.
Nowadays, he roams around the streets of Awantipora locality in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district carrying his small glass-framed briefcase packed with hairbands, rubbers, bangles, combs and mirrors on his frail shoulder.
Earlier, Bhat would visit the paddy fields of Kulgam, Anantnag, Pahalgam and other places of the Valley, and would sell his merchandise to farmers in exchange of paddy grains and money. However, he says, this barter trade has now come to an end.
“The barter trade was at its peak during 1970s in the Valley, when people loved to explore my transparent briefcase, but this tradition no longer exists now,” says Bhat.
“This glass-framed briefcase has now lost its charm. I don’t know how many youngsters today are familiar with it.” he adds.
Bhat, a father of two daughters hardly earns two to three hundred rupees a day. He is currently putting up in a rented accommodation at Awantipora’s Jawbrara area, for which he has to pay Rs 1000 as rent.
“So, it is really difficult to make my end meet.” he says.
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