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New Delhi (AFP)
Fear of the coronavirus, combined with chronic pollution, has spoiled the party of hundreds of millions of Indians who celebrate the biggest Hindu holiday of the year on Saturday.
Diwali is destined to be the festival of light, but the pandemic has clouded the future for many in the country of 1.3 billion.
New Delhi, the smog-shrouded capital, has banned firecrackers due to sky-high levels of pollution, and while people still crowd the markets, traders said Covid-19 had scared them off spending.
With 8.7 million cases, India has the second highest coronavirus infection count in the world behind the United States. Around 130,000 people have died from Covid-19 in India since February and Delhi is seeing a further increase with almost 8,000 new cases a day.
Experts have blamed the Diwali crowds for the surge, and while the traditional revelry was muted, there were no signs that people were staying home.
Engineer Rahul Randhawa, 27, said the crowd was “the complete opposite” of what he expected to see when he returned from the United States.
“There are big traffic jams in the street … and there are big crowds in the markets,” he said.
However, the crowds are being selective. Theaters are open but remain empty. Restaurants say they are fighting to get people in.
– Lights off –
Mahinder Kumar, who sells flowers outside the Jhandewala temple, one of Delhi’s oldest, said there are usually long lines for Diwali. “This year is nothing, almost empty.”
“Our business has been hit hard. We have barely sold flowers this year.”
The eight weeks until Diwali can account for 40 percent of the annual business of some merchants and is considered an auspicious time to buy gold.
But the lights were off at the Vineet Garg jewelry and gold store near downtown Connaught Place, even though there was an “open” sign on display.
“It is a waste of electricity to turn on the lights,” he said. “People don’t shop in stores. My business is online. They’re too preoccupied to have fun.”
In Mumbai, markets were packed with shoppers buying lights and food, but traders said sales were no better than on a normal day.
“It’s a boring Diwali,” said Raju Harijan, 35, who runs a grocery store in North Mumbai. “Usually every year, sales would peak now, but this year, even survival has become difficult.”
Bank worker Sonam Choudhary acknowledged that people were “scared” by the coronavirus and “adjusting to the new normal.” He said families would celebrate Diwali “with all precautions.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and most of his ministers issued traditional Diwali greetings. “May everyone be prosperous and healthy,” Modi told his 63.5 million followers on Twitter.
But the government is struggling to revive an economy that is expected to shrink almost 10 percent this year due to the pandemic crisis. Millions across the country have lost their jobs.
But Garg said it wouldn’t make sense to turn on the lights in her jewelry until a coronavirus vaccine is available to everyone. “The new normal is dark for now,” he said.
© 2020 AFP
