Mumbai: Mount Mary Fair vendors protest 10 pm closure, say late-evening crowds drive business

Stall operators at the Mount Mary Fair in Bandra say police are asking them to shut by around 93010 pm cutting into the lateevening business they say is crucial during the eightday festival Several vendors said they are paying between Rs 50000 and Rs 1 lakh for shortterm stall spaces and lose out when visitors arriving after office hours find the fair winding downldquoEven the visitors turn away disappointed with such an early wrapup time Most other fairs we set up business at have a late wrapup time till midnightrdquo several vendors said However the police and BMC maintain that the 10 pm closure is appropriate Bandra Senior Police Inspector Ravindra Salunkhe said police were enforcing closure once the church shutsA candleseller hawks his wares to devotees visiting the Mount Mary church PICsayyed Sameer AbediWhy vendors are unhappyPeak hours Vendors say crowds build up later in the evening after people finish visiting the churchHigh rents Some operators said they paid R55000 for 9 sq ft space while others cited rents of up to R1 lakhLost customers Vendors said visitors who arrive after 10 pm are unable to shop and leave disappointedComparison with other fairs Operators said they work at other city fairs where stalls remain open laterPimenta flags early closureAdvocate Godfrey Pimenta activist and trustee of the Watchdog Foundation has written to the Mumbai Police commissioner and chief minister opposing what he described as an early closureDevotees look are rosaries on sale near Mount Mary churchldquoThe manner in which the stalls are being compelled to close substantially before the traditionally permittedannounced closing time has caused serious inconvenience to devotees pilgrims visitors local residents and stallholdersrdquoStall operators speakMd Danish 18ldquoPolice are telling us to close the stalls at max by 10 pm earlier this was not the case They should reconsider this closing timerdquoMd Irfan 45ldquoYesterday Monday police closed our shops at 10 pm We saw people were still roaming near Bandstand but they couldnt visit the fair or buy from us Despite this fairs rent costing us more the restrictions are unlike any other fair we frequentrdquoShankar Chauhan 24ldquoI paid R55000 rent for eight days these are sublet spots I feel the crowd peaks around the late hours and latecomers could enjoy the fair and we could really use some more returns on our rentrdquoDashrath Chauhan 33ldquoI have been setting up a stall here for five years now every year the rent increases and the time limit decreases Rent has gone up from R40k to R55k now for these 9 sq ft spots but police close the fair around 945 pm The key two hours when the crowd peaks the fair is shut mdash whats the pointrdquoAjay Kumar Baniya 46ldquoWe have been setting up our stall here for 30 years now This is our third day here this year the police close the fair by 93010 pm Visitors turn back disappointed business is also hit The restrictions are unparalleled despite paying the highest rents here We operate in Mahalakshmi fair as well there are no such restrictions thererdquoOfficial view 10 pm is enoughKaren DMello municipal councillor H West wardldquoTo prevent inconveniences that the residents of the area face in late hours of the day the police and the BMC are taking appropriate action by enforcing the 10 pm deadline I support thisrdquoOfficial SpeakldquoThe current 10 pm closing time is appropriate Stalls are allowed to operate for the entire day police start enforcing the closure only around the time that the church also closes Concerns about returns are misplaced now because they themselves bid for most of these stalls excluding the Mount Mary ones they are fixedprice exclusively for localsrdquoRavindra Salunkhe senior police inspector Bandra police stationldquoThe current 10 pm closing time is appropriate Stalls are allowed to operate for the entire day police start enforcing the closure only around the time that the church also closes Concerns about returns are misplaced now because they themselves bid for most of these stalls excluding the Mount Mary ones they are fixedprice exclusively for localsrdquoResidents Let them stay later mdash but not everyone agreesChristopher CoElho 27ldquoI have grown up seeing the fair and participating in it It used to go on till midnight For many years now things wrap up earlier But it would be nice for say afteroffice late visitors to experience the fair so the authorities should at least revisit the closing time Itrsquos just eight days once a year Even the residents wonrsquot mind I thinkrdquoPhilomena James Gomes 48ldquoI have been a resident of the area for three decades now I have experienced the fair throughout these years The fair used to run till 12 am earlier over the years the closing time dipped to 11 pm and then 10 pm I think the current timings are okay for the first six days because anyway the authorities are kind enough to allow the fair to stretch till midnight on the last two days Everyone enjoys it thenrdquo