Every year during Ramzan, Bengaluru’s Frazer Town is lined with vibrant food stalls serving all kinds of kebabs, desserts, and other snacks. The Iftar food trail on Mosque Road, MM Road, and other streets in the area, which has grown in scale and popularity over the years, is now facing curbs from authorities. After residents of the Muslim-majority neighbourhood of Frazer Town complained to the police and civic authorities about “outsiders” running food stalls and causing inconvenience, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials visited the area on Tuesday, April 18, and introduced new curbs on the location and timings of the food stalls. The food vendors who were already facing hostility from residents are upset with the new rules imposed just a couple of days before the fair concludes on Eid.
Responding to the complaint from Frazer Town Residents’ Welfare Association (FTRWA), police officers and officials of the BBMP visited Frazer Town on Tuesday. They attempted to close down the food stalls put up as part of the Ramzan food mela. However, following protests by the food vendors, the authorities allowed the stalls to remain, on the condition that they do not spill onto the roads and remain on the footpaths. Vendors were also asked to shut shop by 1 am, instead of staying open overnight.
When TNM reached Mosque Road on Tuesday evening, the BBMP had already paused the eviction activities. However, one vendor pointed to a stone used to cook a mutton dish, which had cracked amid the eviction attempt by the authorities. Sajjad Khan, a stall owner, told TNM that the mela is an annual affair which many vendors depend on for the brief spurt in business. He questioned why the residents had not complained sooner, when the mela had just begun. “We have invested a lot in setting up our stalls, and stocked our freezers with meat for the dishes. How can we shut shop now?” Sajjad asked.
The Frazer Town RWA had written to the BBMP and other authorities, alleging that the mela was obstructing traffic, blocking footpaths, and leading to piled up garbage. The letter from RWA member, Saud Dastagir, had stated that the annual Ramzan food mela had no religious importance, and that none of the residents and mosque authorities favoured it. It also said that the stall owners and visitors were all “outsiders” whose presence disturbed the residents’ Ramzan prayers.
Speaking to TNM, Frazer Town resident Shoaib said that the Iftar fair used to have only 40-45 stalls, and claimed that the numbers have gone up considerably this year. This has led to severe traffic congestion and has made life difficult for residents, he said. According to Shoaib, the food stalls obstructing the footpath is the biggest inconvenience for Frazer Town residents. “Food waste from the stalls is dumped along the street in an unsanitary manner,” he said, complaining that the waste management on these streets has been deplorable.