Babu's writ to stop sale of vegetable ran large among market vendors
Tambdi bhaji from neighbouring Karnataka just disappeared from the bustling Margao Municipal-owned Gandhi market on Wednesday after a call was given to stop the entry of outside vegetables into the market.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Karnataka’s tambdi bhaji simply made a disappearing act from Margao’s Gandhi market on Wednesday as former deputy chief minister Manohar aka Babu Ajgaonkar’s writ ran large in the bustling vegetable market.
One could only come across locally grown tambdi bhaji in the Gandhi market shed occupied by vegetable growers, all Niz Goemkars hailing from the Scheduled Tribe community.
Known for maintaining his stranglehold over the Margao Municipality owned Gandhi market over the years, Babu’s diktat, that no tambdi bhaji from Ghattaprabha in neighbouring Karnataka will find place at the Gandhi market, held complete sway over the migrant vegetable vendors.
As usual, the Gandhi market opened for the day, witnessing the hustle and bustle on Wednesday with customers making a beeline for the purchase of vegetables. But, as one hopped from one vegetable stall to another across the congested market on Wednesday morning, tambdi bhaji was conspicuous by its absence at almost all the vegetable stalls.
Inquiries by The Goan has only revealed that vegetable vendors swarming across the Gandhi market took a conscious decision not to purchase tambdi bhaji from Ghattaprabha in neighbouring Karnataka from today. Those vendors who had bought stock of tambdi bhaji seemed to have disposed of the vegetable yesterday itself after Babu issued his diktat at the Gandhi market on Tuesday.
A couple of vegetable vendors selling tambdi bhaji over the last couple of days told The Goan they have stopped buying the red coloured vegetable from neighbouring Karnataka. Reason: The vegetable vendors have received a message loud and clear from Babu that tambdi bhaji from the neighbouring state will not have a place in the Gandhi market any more. “Yesterday, a decision was taken not to sell tambdi bhaji in the Gandhi market. We have all decided to all go by the diktat issued by our leader”, remarked a vegetable vendor.
Another vendor added: “Tambdi bhaji from Ghattaprabha will no longer be available at the vegetable stalls in the Gandhi market. The leader has given a call not to sell outside tambdi bhaji in the market, we all have decided to go by the decision.
The former deputy chief minister had on Tuesday shut down the Gandhi market before marching to the Margao Municipal Council with hundreds of market vendors in support of their charter of demands. Babu, who heads the Gandhi Market Vegetable and Readymade Garments Association over the years then gave a call for a ban on tambdi bhaji entering the Gandhi market in order the protect the interests of the Scheduled Tribes vendors, who grow local varieties of vegetables, including tambdi bhaji on the outskirts of the commercial capital and offer the produce for sale at the Gandhi market.
