In this world of
emerging virtual reality and online marketing, by market we still understand
that it is a place where buyers and sellers meet, interact and exchange their
goods for money or commodities itself so as to meet their needs and wants. One
of the market type where growers and ultimate consumers meet face to face
eliminating the existence of ‘evil’ middlemen is “Haat Bazar” which
usually occurs in peri-urban and rural areas. Haat bazar is usually conducted
periodically; once or twice a week thereby being christened according to the
day they are conducted viz; Aaitabarey, Sombarey, Malgalbarey,
Budhabarey, Bihibarey, Sukrabarey and Sanischarey.
Also many haat got their name based on the “tithi” of hindu calendar.
Growers get to sell
their produce (usually low volume) in a handsome price and consumers get to
enjoy the fresh and quality produce in lower price than in the hegemonic market
place. This market system which started quite hundreds of years ago stills
carries its beauty and stands tall in the present scenario of highly
competitive market and era of supermarkets like Walmart, Big Mart, Bhatbhateni
and many others. Farmers who usually own a small piece of land yet who enjoys marketable
surplus are highly benefitted by haat bazar. Consumers too feel less cheated by
retailers and middlemen. Here both the parties enjoy win-win situation. People
gather in haat bazar for fun, enjoy street foods, meet friends and for many
other recreational activities making haat bazar a tourist destination too for
many domestic and from abroad. Some years back and to some extent still now
haat is also a rendezvous for teenagers and lovebirds.
With the advancement
and incorporation of technologies in marketing, haat bazar almost got erased
not until now. We can see haat bazar rising again trying to fight with the
robust mega markets and highly competitive trade.
Yet these days the
share of happiness from haat bazar seems to be grabbed by few traders who
especially in terai region own their own vehicle, roam from one haat to another
throughout the week greatly displacing the marginalized growers who have lesser
ability to compete with those fortified traders. Haat bazar these days have
mainly transformed into “bazar on wheels”. No wonder few consumers who can
haggle enjoy better price but the haat is actually losing its essence in the
perspective that the growers are actually not being able to fit themselves in
the market system. The haat bazar also has been proven to be beneficial to few
local pied pipers who collect the rent from the stalls in the area without
actually using the collected fund to improve the overall management of the
bazar. In other words, the haat bazar has been a place to hedge taxation for
many seeming traders. To add, the lack of proper parking facility, being devoid
of well managed shades, lack of quality assurance and monitoring have added
woes not only to the management personnel but also to the consumers.
In this context, this
is a high time for government to curb the unnecessary burgeoning of haat bazar
and bring it into certain frame and bind it by the set of policies.
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| Farmer like him must benefit from haat bazar rather than well-established traders |
