Russell Market traders are all set to resume selling their stocks from Friday—six days after a major fire gutted 133 shops, ushering in uncertainty over the future of many shopkeepers at the 85-year-old heritage building.
Thanks to their loyal customers, Russell Market traders are all set to resume selling their stocks from Friday—six days after a major fire gutted 133 shops, ushering in uncertainty over the future of many shopkeepers at the 85-year-old heritage building.
Mohammed Idrees Choudhary, appointed as general secretary of the newly formed Russell Market Association, said: “The BBMP did not do much to help us clear the debris as we are opposed to a new structure being built here, which the civic body was proposing. But now, some of our die-hard customers have come forward to help us financially and have promised us to provide loans to renovate the place and get back to business.”
Feroze Abdullah, of the well-known Feroze Estate Agency, is among the Russell Market loyalists who have promised to fund the rebuilding process at Russell Market.
“Foreign nationals who regularly visit the market have also promised to fund the renovation. Many people have been visiting the market building to contribute funds for the new association, which will help us rebuild our future,” Idrees said.
Another loyalist of Russell Market, Shyamala Gudrappa, from Indiranagar, on Wednesday contributed `5,000 to the association. Gudrappa said, “I want to help the market in whichever way I can to help keep the heritage charm going. It’s a proud feeling.”
The traders on Tuesday had prohibited government officials, especially BBMP officials, from entering the market building. But a flicker of hope emerged on Wednesday when the traders and shopkeepers learnt that the civic agency had promised `8,000-`50,000 to each shopkeeper based on the loss they incurred due to the Saturday morning fire.
But by evening, when no further news came by about the compensation, the traders reverted to their sole determination of rebuilding the market through the efforts of the association.
The market has been cleaned for the all-community holy rituals, which will be performed on Thursday morning.
“We informed the BBMP of our plans and spoke to Bescom officials to provide us temporary meters. but were denied. Nevertheless, the market will be reopened for public on Friday, thanks to the customers who came forward to support us,” said Naseer Ahmed, president of the newly formed Russell Market Association.
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