Margao's Sunday 'chor bazaar' is a steal

MARGAO: Every Sunday, even before the sun is up, a ‘chor bazaar’ opens up on the streets of Margao, selling a variety of items at bargain prices. 

Without any fear of the police or of the Margao Municipal Council (MMC), the ‘chor bazaar’, which operates on the lines of a similar one in Ulhasnagar, Mumbai, opens at 5.30 am on Sunday and winds up before the sun is fully in the sky. In the hour or so that it is in business, the turnover is estimated to be at lakhs of rupees. 

Why is it called ‘chor bazaar’? Because the items on sale are believed to be stolen ones. Shiv Sena’s Raju Virdikar said, “The fact that these products are sold during the wee hours of Sunday is to avoid the police. It is also true that they are stolen items. Shiv Sena had earlier taken up the issue and had successfully stopped this market.” But it has started again.

Televisions, refrigerators, fans, branded watches, sunglasses, bags, clothing and other items are sold here. While the sellers claim that the items are all used, it is alleged that the stuff is stolen goods. Much of it is items that may go missing from people’s houses, but nobody would complain.

Some days ago, a thief who used to regularly flick utensils from a house in Pajifond was caught by the family. The family claims that stolen items like clothing, footwear and utensils may be sold at the ‘chor bazaar’. 

There is no knowledge of where the traders of the bazaar come from and where they go the rest of the week, but on Sunday morning hundreds of them lay out their goods on the station road and run it for around an hour. 

Since MMC has the day off on Saturdays and Sundays, these vendors get a free hand to operate. New Market Association president Vinod Shirodkar said, “MMC keeps troubling honest and law-abiding vendors of the markets. However, they still ignore the chor bazaar activity.” He blamed the municipality for not stopping the activity. 

Local councillor Damu Naik demanded action against this market. He also demanded a check of all non-Goans, ragpickers who have made the station road their house.

Residents of the area informed Herald that they had attempted to close down this bazaar in the past. They said earlier, while it was men who would sit on roadside selling the goods, now it is mostly women who do the sales job. 

Margao Police Inspector Sachin Narvenkar, who has recently taken charge of the police station, said he would find out about the chor bazaar and initiate necessary action in the matter.