The Sabarmati Riverfront Development Project (SRDP) could ring the death knell for the 15th-century-old Khass Bazar of Ahmedabad, popularly known as the Ravivari or the Gujari (Sunday flea market), according to a report presented at a seminar in IIM-A.

IIM-A Prof Naveep Mathur, one of the co-authors of the report, said: “Around one-two lakh people depend on Ravivari for their livelihood. So, the issue is not just about the Gujari traders being affected, but about everyone else who depends on the market, directly or indirectly.” The ongoing construction work for SRDP has reduced the space for the market by 35 per cent, and a situation might soon arise when the market might get displaced.

According to the report, co-authored by IIM-A Prof Ghanshyam Shah and Arpita Joshi, there are 1,200 traders registered as members of the Gujari Association. Several hundred others are non-members but still trade along with the Gujari traders. Besides, there are 7,000 to 10,000 other traders who indirectly get business due to Gujari. Another 400 non-dependent women also trade in the market. More than 20,000 people are dependent in the chain between making, transporting, and the sale of goods in the market. Many migrant artisans and daily wagers also depend on Gujari for their livelihood. Prof Mathur added: “The reducing space will destroy the generation-long business of traders. Around 23 per cent of the traders are second or third generation. Around 51.6 per cent of the people surveyed were involved in selling/making/collecting/mending those very products they sell in the Sunday market. The market has been a source of livelihood for the LIG traders, artisans, and women.”

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