With hardly a week left for the Independence Day celebrations, traders on East Avani Moola Street here are busy handling customers who have come to purchase flags. A stretch of small shops on the street is the hub for sale of the flags and related paraphernalia for political meetings as well as rallies.
“Business, has, however, dwindled over the last few years. While our shops used to be the only destination for such paraphernalia, now many retailers procure such items from us and sell them all over the city,” said T. Raja, who owns Solanki Enterprises.
“We begin selling flags a month before the Independence Day since traders from Ramanathapuram, Dindigul and Tirunelveli place early orders in bulk for the national celebration,” he added.
The shops stock only cloth and paper flags, following the ban on use of plastic flags. “This has caused a marginal dip in sales. Many customers used to buy plastic flags since they were sold at Rs.60 per 100. Paper or cloth flags cost almost double,” said a trader. A few traders said that they were finding it difficult to dispose of leftover stocks of plastic flags since people were not ready to buy them.
Many of them, however, supported the ban. “Many of us try to avoid plastic due to its non-biodegradable quality. The national flag, which is a symbol of respect and patriotism, should not be made of a material that harms the environment,” opined Kalaimagal Ramasamy, coordinator of Mercury Cards.
Apart from the flags, the shops sell a variety of merchandise, which include tri-colour paper flower decorations, metal badges, wrist bands and caps.
“There are tri-colour wrist bands made of rubber, introduced this year, which have become very popular among students. We are expecting to sell more of them closer to August 15,” said Lalit Kumar, a trader.
