Cloth stores open but Muslim merchants not to open till May 25

Owners of clothes, textiles and readymade garment stores were allowed to open their shops during the relaxation of lockdown from 7 am to 7 pm across the district by district administration on Thursday.

Though many cloth stores remained open, only a few customers wearing masks and maintaining social distance visited the shops. But readymade garment stores in malls remained closed as per district administration's orders.

District In-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary stressed that trial rooms in the cloth stores should remain closed. All the staff should wear mask, he added.

Muslim Merchants Association however, has decided not to open the cloth stores, fancy shops and shops selling sandals in and around busy Hampankatte till May 25 (which is celebrated as Eid Ul Fitr).

“There are around 300 shops in and around Hampankatte coming under KTA Youth Forum. It is not only Muslim merchants, even a few merchants from other communities have backed our decision not to open the shops till May 25,” said Forum (an organisation of Muslim Merchants) president Mausheer Ahmmed Samaniga.

This is our support to fight against Covid-19 in Mangaluru, he added. “As preparations for the festival begins soon after the end of lockdown, we decided not to open shops until the festival is celebrated.”

Prior to the decision of merchants, Udupi Qazi Bekala Ibrahim Musliyar had appealed to the district administration to continue the lockdown till the end of Ramzan month. In his appeal, he had urged community members to donate for those in distress and educational needs of the poor during the Ramzan month.

MLA opposes

Mangalore MLA U T Khader has opposed the decision of District In-charge Minister to allow the opening of the textiles and readymade garment shops.

“Is it necessary to take such a decision when the number of Covid-19 cases are on the rise in the district?" Khader asked.

Khader recollected that the Minister had vowed that the textile shops would not be allowed to open at a meeting held recently. “All of a sudden, he changed his decision,” he added.

“Instead of taking measures to check the spread of coronavirus, government has given permission to wine and textile shops to remain open. The government should initiate measures to improve capacity of the lab in the Covid-19 designated hospital in Mangaluru,’’ Khader said.