Fish Market Closed due to ‘Jaathre’, but Brisk Business for Street Women Vendors
Mangaluru: Not only the “Dhakke” [Fishing Dock} is closed for fishing today, Sunday, 1 April-even the Fish Market is empty located near State Bank of India in City- the reason behind being the fishermen/women taking part in a couple of days of “Jaathre”. Fish buyers in the fish market saw no fisherwomen nor any fish on Sunday than on other days. The reason was that the ‘dhakke’ was closed on Sunday, as one of the four holidays observed there, according to a fish boat owner. He said that Mogaveeras were attending the ‘jaathre’ as it was part of their tradition.
It is learnt that the ‘dhakke’ never closes for any reason. Work does not stop for any reason related to politics nor are there any strikes. But following a meeting held a couple of years ago, among all those who work in the ‘dhakke’, it was decided that it would remain closed on four Hindu festivals, three Muslim festivals, and two Christian festivals with people from all communities keeping away from work. “We have all decided to cooperate. Otherwise, we bring the fish and there is no one to lift it,” said Harish a fisherman. The dhakke remained closed on Good Friday.
Sources reveal that 90 percent of the women fish vendors at the ‘dhakke’ and the market near State Bank were Mogaveeras. Of the 40,000 people who work at the ‘dhakke’, over 20,000 were Mogaveeras. Therefore on Sunday, there was no one at the Dhakke nor fisherwomen in the fish market. But there was one Konkani-speaking Kharvi fish vendor in the fish market who said she was selling irpe and chigdi bought from Bengre as there was no fish to buy from the ‘dhakke’ in Bunder on Sunday. The other fish vending women were away to attend the ‘jaathre’ and she was at the market to sell fish as it was not mandatory for her to attend the ‘jaathre’, she said.
Ushakka, a fish vendor, said she was selling fish she had bought on Saturday and which she had preserved in ice. She said that she was selling 1 kg of madhmal meen for little extra than what she sells on other days. But in the meantime, there were a few women from Hassan district who have migrated to Mangaluru and have made Bengre as their second home place, and were seen selling fish on the roadside near the fish market- and the business was brisk, since fish lovers couldn’t stay away from their favorite fish, even for a day. The price on the fish sold by these was not so expensive nor so cheap-but the fish was fresh-which was caught by them in the river or stream.
Many fish buyers, not knowing that the fish market was closed, were left disappointed- some had no other choice than to buy fish from these street vendors- but not many trust these fish, since there is no guarantee of freshness. Shalet, who wanted to celebrate Easter by cooking Esson {Seer Fish} and Kane {Lady Fish}, since her two daughters who have come down from Bangaluru love fish, was upset since the fish market near State Bank was also empty after she had first visited the Dhakke this morning. She said: “Everything was shut- now I will have to buy a few fish from these street vendors. I only hope my daughters will like them- but I won’t tell them that I bought them on the roadside?”.
And for that matter, yours truly was lucky to get a good deal on a bunch of variety of fish, including ‘Kane’ and ‘Thede’ for just Rs 500- if not the price would be above Rs 800-900. You know why I got this deal- because I clicked a few photos of these women street vendors, and few of them have requested for the prints, which probably they’ll get it on Monday. Can’t wait to feast on all these fish. Got Fish!
