Time was, when elections meant a major boom in business for election campaign material manufacturers and distributors. However, with more and more netas deciding to get on the information superhighway to woo voters through the social media, online political campaigns and other unconventional promotional strategies, it’s not business as usual for traditional flag, poster and banner manufacturers in the Capital.
Plus, the Election Commission’s order that puts strict regulations on the use of banners, flags and posters in this General Election has compounded their woes, leading to most manufacturers locking up their warehouses and taking to labour work instead.
The Bartan Market in Sadar Bazar which at one time used to boast of around 40-45 manufacturers of election campaign material now only has three or four such shops. Irdees Khan is one of them and his business has seen a slide over the years. He began his business in 1977 when the JP movement was at its peak and never saw a dull moment during the election season. However, now he struggles to find work.
“While earlier hundreds of flags were put up by political parties, now they use only a few. Thus, my production has come down to 10 per cent of what it used to be. I used to start working three months before elections and as the polls neared, we had to work round-the-clock to meet the orders. I never had time to spare and my warehouse would be overflowing with flags and banners. But now I am just sitting idle with nothing to do and an empty warehouse,” Khan lamented.
This fall in business has meant unemployment for scores of people living in the locality. Sikandar Khan, another manufacturer in the market said: “Earlier, so many women used to work with us to stitch the cloth needed for the flags and banners, but now it requires only three or four of them to finish the job. It is the same with the labourers. When we ourselves don’t earn how do we pay themIJ”
Though Irdees Khan and the other manufacturers do make accessories for festivals and events, making election campaign material used to bring in the big bucks. “All of us did very well during elections. Most of us would get our children married after elections because that’s the time we used to be rich. In a week we easily earned Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 but now we don’t earn more than a few hundreds. We are just trying to make ends meet,” said Khan.
Distributors say that in this election caps, badges, mufflers and T-shirts are much more in demand as opposed to flags in the previous electoral seasons. Ashish, a distributor in the area, said that flags were the least sold items. “People are now more interested in frills like the Narendra Modi mala and the AAP cap. last election season we sold banners also, but this time people just won’t buy them so we have stopped keeping those,” he added. According to Yogesh Pant, a trader for Irdees Khan, this has been their worst election season.
“Every year the Election Commission adds some new rule. This will continue happening and our businesses will suffer. Earlier I used to keep getting calls and before the consignment even reached the warehouse I used to take it out and send it to the candidates. But now we are in a hand-to-mouth situation. Things are very difficult,” he said.