Open Khwairamband Keithel: Bladesmiths
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 14 2021:
Many bladesmiths have urged the State Government to allow the opening of the Khwairamband Keithel from the Manipuri calendar month of phairen following the SOPs for Covid 19 .
It may be mentioned that the Khwairamband Keithel has been closed since late March.
Speaking to The Sangai Express, one Thangjam (O) Bimola (55) said that selling knives at Khwairamband Keithel number 1 is their family tradition practised since decades.
Saying that this closure of the women-only market since last late March is forcing many vendors to run hither and thither, especially those who sell knives, to make ends meet, she appealed to the State Government to consider the plight of the vendors and let them resume their business at the earliest.
The vendor continued that she now sells knives and other sharp tools in front of her gate but the profit is not even close to what she used to make at Khwairamband Keithel.
Continuing that about 50 percent of the tools she put up for sale are home-made, she added the price of thee tools, however, have gone up due to the pandemic.
As inoculation drive for Covid-19 is also set to begin from January 16 onwards, opening the keithel by conforming to the SOPs would help the vendors in
returning to normalcy, she added.