They now have little expectation of revival as they see no hopeful candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections
Mohammed Zakir with his workers at his workshop
It has been almost three years since demonetisation and two years since good and services tax (GST) implementation, but city's small businesses have still not revived from the economic shock. From manufacturers of garments and leather at Dharavi to members of the Koli and the Qureshi communities, all are counting their losses since note ban in 2016. They now have little expectation of revival as they see no hopeful candidates for the upcoming assembly elections.
Pratap Rai Harjani, 65, who sells iron shutter gates in Dharavi, said, "Before demonetisation, I used to get more than 50 orders in a month but now the number has dropped to 25," said Harjani. Abdul Malik, 43, who makes wallets, sent his wife and six children back home in Bihar a couple of years back to save money. Malik once used to get orders for 3,000-4,000 wallets, but now he barely sells about 1000-1200.
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Closed shops at Dharavi. Pics/Anurag Ahire
Sitting Congress MLA Varsha Gaikwad, Shiv Sena's Ashish More and AIMIM's Manoj Sansare are in fray from Dharavi, where owners of small businesses have seen their profits fall by 50 per cent. He said while Varsha Gaikwad has improved cleanliness in the area and set up toilets, little has been done to boost the economy. "Nothing will improve until there is a change in the government," he said.
The Koli community, too, is disappointment with the present government as they feel the infrastructure projects, including the Coastal Road and Backbay reclamation, will further cost them their livelihood.
"We have seen the way the government dealt with the trees at Aarey. The Coastal Road project will affect activities for breeding of fish. Our livelihood is at stake," said Harishchandra Nakhwa, a fisherman from Worli Koliwada.
The Qureshi community have also vainly tried to revive their businesses after the beef ban in 2015, but many didn't prefer buffalo meat, forcing several meat sellers to change their business.
Bombay Beef Association president Mohammad Qureshi said the community will definitely won't vote for the BJP, but they don't see any deserving candidate among the Opposition too. "If the Opposition parties could have formed a stronger alliance, we would have had some hope from them," Qureshi said.
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