Pork, fish sellers feast on poll bonanza
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 29, 2012:
If the brisk sale of fish and pork is any indication, then stakes were certainly very high in the just concluded election for the 10th manipur legislative Assembly.
While various restrictions by the election authorities undoubtedly curbed expenditures with regard to campaigns, meetings and other visible activities, it is also beyond doubt that price-tag of a voter escalated this time around.
with contesting elections in Manipur considered to be a domain of the rich and powerful, the candidates themselves were more than willing to pay the price rather than finish 'second best' in the race.
Amid report that an individual voter not only enjoyed camaraderie with active workers of rival candidates but was also offered crisp notes in exchange of his/her vote, a pork seller in Keishamthong said he recorded the highest sale of his career on the election day, which was January 28. Even as sale was brisk in the fish markets of Khwairamband keithel, Amakcham Santajit of Kongba was frank enough to admit that a sale of 200 kg mark was recorded on January 28. Confiding that the sale of pork meat hovered in the range of 100 kg and above in the last few weeks before the election and demand far outstripped supply, Santajit said he was lucky enough to have the stock commensurate with the demand on the said day for many of his fellow-traders at the same site had to shut their shops for they ran out of stock.
Informing that against the normal rate of Rs 180 per kilogram, customers willingly forked out Rs 200 for a kilogram of pork meat on election day.
The demand was so brisk that customers were happy enough to take home the purchase in whole instead of waiting for the meat to be chopped into consumable pieces as the trade is associated with.
The quantity of purchase also varied significantly compared to the past, Santajit maintained while explaining that from the normal practice of a kilogram or two, an individual purchase acquired 10 to 20 kgs just before and on the day of election.
Besides Keishamthong, pork traders at Pishumthong, Lamphel, New Checkon, North AOC and other pockets had similar tale to tell with most regretting that the demand exceeded expectation of sale.
In the meantime, a Thingbaijam Memcha, a 51-year old woman fish-monger of Khwairamband Keithel told The Sangai Express that sale of different variety of fishes steadily increased from December last.
With the sale picking up momentum in January her daily sale is said to had ranged in between 50-60 kgs per day apart from receiving periodical order for bulk purchase of 60-80 kgs.
While local variety Rohu (Rou) fish of smaller size fetched her Rs 130 to Rs 150 per kg the larger ones commanded Rs 180 to Rs 200 for the same quantity, she claimed adding that prices of Grass and Common carps were also hiked by Rs 30. Confessing that fish farmers as well as whole-sale traders from the fishing zones of Mayang Imphal and thanga faced difficulties in coping with the demand, Memcha nonchalantly wished that she be blessed with such quantum of sale everyday.
Tayenjam Bidyaluxmi of Uripok, another fish-monger at the historic market-place, who trades in imported fish varieties said she sold no less than one load of Tata DI, in both wholesale and retail, in a day in the run up to the election.
A Tata DI load comprise of 60 boxes of 40 kg each, she said adding that demands were comparatively similar for Rohu, Elisa, Ahella, Ngahei etc.
Stating that on the day of election the sale ranged in between 100 to 200 kgs by an individual or group purchaser, Bidyaluxmi also confessed that price of all the said fish variety was hiked by Rs 30 to Rs 50 from the normal rate.
She opined that due to shortage of supply of the local varieties the purchasers opted for the imported varieties for grand feasts, organised in a stealthy manner or under the guise of fictitious events, with birthday celebrations being the most common for public congregation.