SrinagarIt is for the first time after marriage that Gazala Ahanger is visiting her fathers house with her husband for the customary post wedding functions. As the new groom sits nervous and awkwardly fiddles with his phone, Gazala fills the silence with her giggles and laughter. Surrounded by her cousin sisters and friends who listen to her with immense attention and interest, Gazala gives her inputs about the marriage, I swear the best thing about marriage is the shopping, Gazala tells the girls.
For four months I would visit Goni Khan market on every alternative day almost. It was fun except for few occasions when me and my sister had to roam in search for washroom, adds she as the girls surrounding her break into laughter.
Gazala has been teaching in a local crèche from last five years. Every penny that she earned ever went into her marriage shopping. Thrice or sometimes four times a week Gazala left her home for Goni Khan, her favorite market across Lal Chowk where she always wanted to shop for her wedding. It is a good market for any middle class bride but there are many annoying things. Two wheelers allowed in the market, cart-pullers everywhere and more importantly no public convenience for females.
Goni Khan once was a small market dotted with only a handful of shops. However, in last three decades, with its proximity to the valleys lone maternity hospital, Lal Ded, the market transformed into one of the most happening shopping places of the Srinagar city. Since the market offers varied range of products and caters to customers from diverse financial backgrounds, it is the favorite one-stop shop for most of the city dwellers.
The historical market remains abuzz with women especially prospective brides, buying glittery and colorful wedding apparels, cosmetics and everything they need for their big day. However, amid all this life and laughter, at any given point of time, there are always a handful of women quietly but desperately roaming in the dark by lanes of the market not looking for any product but a toilet.
This is a shame on our government that a middle aged woman like me had to wander with my teenage daughter for a toilet, said Zubeda Akhtar from Awantipora who had come to buy her teenage daughter a dress for her school function. Our chief minister will inaugurate ladies special bus because it will come in newspapers next day. Why will she care for toilets? What will that fetch her, asks Zubeda angrily.
Zubeda had later taken her daughter to a private hotel where she embarrassedly relieved herself.
It is not only hotels but women knock at the doors of unknown houses. It is painful to see our customers undergoing so much of inconvenience, said Shoaib Ahmad who works as salesman in one of the garment shops.
People living around here keep their main doors locked but we cant also blame them because it is not about one or two people, there are hundreds of women knocking at their doors on daily basis, shoaib adds.
There are only three public toilets in the vicinity of Goni Khan market but none of them is in fully working condition. Men, especially the shopkeepers use the two toilets-one set up by shopkeepers union and another by J&K Bank. There is also a nearby mosque where they can go in emergency, but for women there is no any such facility anywhere.
It is very shameful for all of us that our customers because of whom we do business worth crores go through so much inconvenience. Authorities seem sleeping over the issue, Shoaib further adds.
Dr. Shafqat Khan, Commissioner in charge of SMC when contacted termed the issue as grave and claimed that there will be eighty new public toilets built by SMC by the end of 2017. Lack of toilets is a sad truth. Not only in Goni Khan, toilets need to be available in every corner of the city.
I will ensure the construction of these eighty toilets by the end of this year- when and where exactly we will see that, he added.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
ACT NOW |
MONTHLY | Rs 100 | |
YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |