Firecracker businesses hit hard by ‘boycott China’ campaign: Retailers

Traders deny selling Chinese fireworks, say sales have dropped by 50 pc from last year.
Shanti fireworks in Malakpet, in the city wears a deserted look three days ahead of Diwali on Wednesday | vinay madapu
Shanti fireworks in Malakpet, in the city wears a deserted look three days ahead of Diwali on Wednesday | vinay madapu

HYDERABAD: The queue of people purchasing fire crackers outside one of the biggest wholesalers in the city, Shanti Fireworks was moving slowly. However, Sanjay Bhope, the owner of the shop is not a happy man.

“Last year, and the years before that, the queue would go up to the end of the lane,” he said and added,

“The business is bleak this year. It fell 50 per cent last year after the state got divided and it has become less than that this year.” 

Sanjay said that one of the reasons for slow business this year is that people suspect that all fire crackers in the market are Chinese. Messages to ban Chinese-made products as a protest against China’s support to Pakistan following Uri attacks that took place in September have had an impact.

“We stocked or sold Chinese fire crackers because they are a lot more harmful than our own. They create pollution and it is a risk to import them and move them around too as they are highly dangerous. We source crackers from our local markets.

People, however, believe that all fire crackers are Chinese,” rued Sanjay who is also the president of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Fire Crackers Association. Jagadeesh, in-charge and manager at Vishnu Fire Works, another leading wholesaler agreed with Sanjay.

Their store welcomes people with a poster of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign - Make in India.  Jagadeesh said, “We never sold Chinese products. We put up the poster of encouraging local makers two years ago. PM’s call is an added advantage. ” The retailers also pointed out that heavy rains made it diffucult for them to store the crackers.

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