Dehradun: As the country reels under the coronavirus pandemic, the citizens have also been affected by the adversity in more than one way.
Ahead of the Raksha Bandhan festival that falls on August 3, a similar trend can be observed in the markets.
Markets have been suffering as no social gatherings are allowed and people are hesitant about stepping out given the risk of infection.
However, even amid the pandemic, positive stories have not ceased to appear.
This year, people have refused to buy Chinese rakhis and have been preferring locally-made rakhis for the occasion.
This comes in view of the skirmish between Indian and China along the Ladakh border.
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"Earlier, if a person bought one rakhi for Rs 100, half of the money went to China's pocket and so we have opted to buy local rakhis this year," a customer said adding that, "It is our punishment to China."
Sale of Chinese rakhis has fallen with even the shopkeepers refusing to sell them.
It would be pertinent to say that Chinese rakhis are aloof from markets, given the cooperation of the traders and the customers.
Local traders in Dehradun have been catering to the likes of people from every age group. They have been selling rakhis available at a price range of Rs 5 to Rs 250.
Also, the rakhis are available in various designs including Kundan, wooden and toy rakhis.
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However, despite people's preferences having shifted to local products, the situation remains grim as there are not many customers to buy them.
"Comparatively less number of customers have been coming in this year in view of the pandemic," said a shopkeeper in Dehradun.
"Earlier, people used to visit their relatives on Raksha Bandhan, they also sent rakhis to relatives in other countries, however, it is not the case this year as transportation both within and across countries have been affected," he said.
He said that factors like employment and income have also affected the sale of rakhis this year.
"Nobody is in a festive mood this year, India is suffering due to the pandemic and so are our livelihoods," he said.
