He does not vote in Calcutta. In fact his vote is thousands of miles away, in Kashmir, but he will be following the election result in Bengal with as much interest and anxiety as most voters of Bengal.
He is Salt Lake’s own Kashmiri shawlwallah, Irshad Reshi, who has made the township his home for 10 years now.
“I used to have a shop in BE Block. I found this place and opened here last November. The location is much more prominent,” says Reshi, the 52-year-old owner of a shop at Baisakhi crossing.
He has been coming to Salt Lake along with his two brothers since 1987. “We used to take turns in coming from November to March. But residents here kept suggesting that we have a permanent outlet here as they wanted our things in summer too. Else they had to travel all the way to New Market. So we took up a place and one of us would stay back,” he recalls. The shop, he says, is a favourite with non-resident Indians who buy winterwear before they fly back.
He stocks a variety of products — saris to salwar suits, coats and waistcoats. There are also bags with Kashmir’s typical ari work on faux leather, in three sizes, costing Rs 75, 200 and 300. Kashmiri mats called namda come for Rs 375. “Light semi-pashmina shawls sell the most. I keep cheap things too so that students who come for a look do not have to return empty-handed.”
He used to take part in Bidhannagar Mela since the start but stopped 10 years ago when the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation took over its organisation and stall rates were hiked.
The past one year has been bad. “Sabon ka maar hai, iss maar mein main bhi hoon,” he sighs, adding that if business was worth 10 rupees earlier now it is down to two rupees.
After the lockdown was announced, he went home by a special train on May 27 and returned to Salt Lake in October. “The return was fruitless. People do not have cash to spare. Sector V is closed. Only government employees are buying a few things.”
That is why even in Chaitra, he did not acquire fresh stock. “I am still sitting on leftover stuff.”
The situation back home, where internet was shut for months together, is far more dismal. “There has been no business, no education since they abrogated Article 370. From August 2019 to February 2021, there has been no initiative. Internet (which was banned returned with 2G last March. Nothing can be done with 2G speed. And within a month, the lockdown started,” he recalls. Though 4G has been restored on paper this February, even now he says they were not getting 4G speed.
Bachchon ki taalim (children’s education) is what he is most worried about. He has two daughters, aged 24 and 16. With the entire education process running online in the rest of the country, one can imagine what internet restrictions mean.
His family has visited Calcutta earlier in winter when his daughters’ classes were off. “Yahan ka zubaan, rahan, sahan alag hai. But they liked it.”
Speak to him and Calcutta comes across as his paradise in the rest of India. “We have travelled a lot since militancy overtook Kashmir in 1989. We have never had any problem in Calcutta. Logon se pyar mila hai. Women also are safest in Kashmir and Calcutta.”
That is why he is keeping his fingers crossed for the election result in Bengal. “BJP aayega toh kharab hi hoga. Yeh jahan jatey hain, barbaad kar dete hain (It will be bad if BJP comes. Wherever they go, they mess up everything),” he sighs.