Stalls at the Rash Mela at Mohiary encroach the road making it difficult for vehicles to pass through. Picture by Anup Bhattacharya

Fairs or melas are an integral part of the social calendar of Howrah and a number of them are organised in different parts of the district during various time of the year. But very few of them generate as much controversy and headache for the local people as does the Rash Mela in Howrah’s Mohiary.

Though the fair is organised on the occasion of the centuries-old Rash festival of Kundu Chowdhury family, the fair has nothing to do with the family. For the last 25 years, a local club has been organising the fair for monetary gain. Previously, the fair was held on the playground attached to the Kundu Chowdhury thakur bari. Now the hawkers are allowed to occupy both sides of the narrow road leading to the thakur bari, leaving very little space for vehicles to move on the road.

“We do not have any connection with the fair. A local club organises the fair for monetary gain. The fair is about 200 years old and it was spontaneously organised by the people on the land of the Kundu Chowdhury family. We never demand a single paisa from the hawkers for setting up stalls and selling goods. Now the hawkers have to pay the organisers for setting up stalls,” said Sajal Kundu Chowdhury, a member of the Kundu Chowdhury family.

He said that the club was allowing more and more hawkers to participate in the fair in lieu of money. He also said that earlier, the fair was held for a few days only but for the last several years, the fair has been on for 15 days. “The road leading to the Kundu Chowdhury thakur bari is narrow. Since stalls come up on both sides of the narrow road, it becomes difficult even for pedestrians to walk, let alone cars and bikes. The club should not allow hawkers on the road,” said Amitava Kundu Chowdhury, another member of the family.

He claimed that earlier vendors from different parts of Howrah and neighbouring Hooghly came to the fair, some showed putul naach and magic on the occasion of Rash utsav but they were never allowed to put up stalls on the road. He also alleged that club members with the support of a particular political party started collecting money.

The members of the Mohiary Phoolbagan Sporting Club, however, denied the allegations. “The Kundu Chowdhury family always collected money from the hawkers in the fair. We also collect money but it is spent on organising the fair and for the development of the local area. We do not collect money for the benefit of the club,” said a member who did not want to be identified. When asked why hawkers are allowed on the road inconveniencing people, the club member said, “Since my childhood, I have been seeing stalls on the road during the fair.” He said that nearly 200 stalls are allowed on the road and the adjoining play ground.