The Hijab row that forced colleges to close dampened this year’s Valentine’s Day with the footfall at favourite hangouts for couples like Church Street, Brigade Road, and Commercial Street remaining lower than usual.
Glittering arrow-pierced hearts hanging from several commercial establishments only accentuated the low spirit, leaving business owners crestfallen. While Church Street appeared bustling in the afternoon, the crowd considerably thinned down by the evening. Shop owners said they did not see many couples on the street during the day.
“This year, we only had 40 per cent of our usual Valentine’s Day crowd and business. Even pubs and restaurants were not full," said Deepak Batavia, president, Church Street Shop Owners' Association.
Business owners on Church Street and Brigade Road said the crowd was better last year despite the Covid restrictions. With not much Valentine’s Day activity, only a few business owners were seen in the evening on Brigade Road.
“Valentine’s Day was dead on Brigade Road this time. Even the preceding weekend did not see much activity. The business on the weekend resembled weekday business," said Sohail Yusuf of Brigade Shops and Establishments Association (BSEA).
Hearts for the Constitution
Valentine’s Day celebrations took a different turn in many places with sighting of heart-shaped balloons and posters found with messages on the Hijab row.
Under the campaign #heartsfortheconstitution, words like ‘Constitution’ and ‘right to religion’ were scrawled on the decorative materials.
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