The Tricolour is usually the flag in demand from the second week of January. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary is on January 23 and Republic Day is just around the corner.
This year is different. In the frenzy surrounding the inauguration of the Ram temple, saffron flags with images of Ram, Lakshman, Sita, Hanuman and the temple have pushed the national flag to the back shelves in markets across Kolkata.
Traders said the saffron flags — of varying sizes — have been flying off the shelves.
“I stocked up on around 1,000 flags. I am only left with a few. I wish I had procured more,” said Bijay Das, who was selling the flags from a makeshift stall in Jadubabu’s Bazaar in Bhowanipore on Monday afternoon.
Das usually sells incense sticks around the year. But in the run-up to Independence Day, Netaji’s birth anniversary and Republic Day, he sells India flags.
“This January, the demand for the Tricolour has dipped. I have around five dozen flags that I hope to start selling from tomorrow,” said Das.
A series of stalls lined up at the entry to the market sold saffron flags. At least 10 motorcyclists bought small flags in the 15-odd minutes that this newspaper spent there. They mounted the flags on their two-wheelers and vroomed away.
“This (consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya) is a historic occasion. We
are all followers of the Sanatan Dharma. All of us should celebrate the occasion,” said Pragya Gupta, a theatre artiste who bought two flags.
A store at the Gariahat market also said the demand for saffron flags had soared and the Tricolour had few takers.
“Only schools and colleges have ordered some India flags till now. The retail sales have taken a big hit,” said the owner.
A series of shops along Basantlal Murarka Road and Mahatma Gandhi Road in Burrabazar sell the Tricolour and campaign material for political parties — party flags, badges and uttariyas (scarves).
For the past 10 days, all of it has been superseded by Ram flags, Ram badges, Ram scarfs and Ram pagdis.
The local market, known as Pageya Patty, is usually shut every Sunday. But the demand for the saffron merchandise was such that the shops remained open on January 21.
“Even at 9.30pm (on Sunday), we had a huge rush,” said Rohit Gupta, the second-generation owner of Novelty Traders, one of the busier establishments in the market, wholesalers of the National Flag and political campaign material.
Gupta has sold more than 35,000 Ram flags in seven days. The cheapest flag comes at Rs 5. The costliest, at Rs 500, is 7.5ft long.
“We had bulk orders from BJP-ruled states like Assam and Tripura. But we didnot anticipate this demand in Kolkata. We have sup-plied flags to housing complexes, clubs, associations andseveral other places,” said Gupta.
“The demand for the Tiranga is subdued, at least till now,” he said.
“We have around 2,000 India flags. The demand should pick up slightly from tomorrow (Tuesday) but I don’t see the stock getting over. We have to keep the unsold stock for August 15.”
Gupta’s store usually sells more than 5,000 Indian flags in January.
Another wholesaler, Mangal Shree, ran out of small Ram flags. Three employees at the store have been deputed to deal with just orders of Ram flags.
“The past five days have seen the demand skyrocketing,” said Niraj Tantia, the owner.
A man looking for flags stopped by and said: “We have been wronged for 500 years. The celebrations have to be befitting.”
A tour of Burrabazar alone explained much of the demand. Several pockets were decked out in a canopy of saffron flags. After every 200m, a loudspeaker blared songs of Ram.
“Hindusthan me rehna hoga, toh Jai Shri Ramkehna hoga (To live in India, one has to chant Jai Shri Ram),” played out from one box.
The consecration ceremony in Ayodhya was being live-streamed at one corner.