Ahmedabad traders face signs of the times

They said that the first notice asked the establishments to use either mother tongue or the national language on their signboards. The Hindu Shiv Sena said they may bring down the boards and even destroy them. The owners allege that the handouts even threatened that the owners would be responsible for any damage to the establishments.

But another owner of a reputed shop said that the HinduShiv Sena had distributed a second handout on December 18 in which the organisation softened its stance and said that owners could continue with the English boards, but they should also have boards either in Gujarati or Hindi.

He said that he was not willing to change his board and if the Hindu Shiv Sena forced him to do he would just have the shop’s name painted on the glass.

Another dealer said, “Where is law and order in this country? Every other day one finds this or that unheard-of organisation threatening to disrupt business.” Several establishments and various jewellers on the road even refused to talk. “Do not talk to us about this. Let us talk on any other topic,” said a jeweller.

Another jeweller even refused to admit that he had got the handout. He said “I have never heard of such an organisation or even such threats.” Of course the threat by the Hindu Shiv Sena is most talked about subject on C G Road. Another dealer jested: “First let them make Hindi and Gujarati compulsory in incometax forms and other government documents, then make it compulsory for vehicle number plates. Then let them turn to signboards.”

Office-bearers of the C G Road Cloth & Garments Shop Owners Association said that the association would first hold a meeting with the office-bearers of the Shiv Sena and then hold the meeting of the association in a couple of days to decide on further action.

But association president, Jitubhai Chauhan, said there were talks among the owners, but he was unaware of threats that the Sena would damage the signboards. He said, “We have high regards for the Gujarati language, but there are certain things which do not suit in Gujarati and hence English was required.”

The president of the youth wing of the Hindu Shiv Sena, Sanjay Brahmbhatt, proudly said members of his organisation would bring down all the boards in English if they were not supported by Gujarati or Hindi signboards.

Brahmbhatt said that first they would paint all the boards black immediately after January 19 andeven after that the Gujarati sign boards were not put up the Sena would destroy the boards after giving the owners a final notice.

And the shop-keeper who had jested about the vehicle registration plates need not have worried. Bhrahmbhatt plans a campaign soon for making Gujarati or Hindi vehicle-registration plates compulsory.

“Majority of the buyers are either Gujaratis or Indian and hence the board should be in Hindi or Gujarati for a common man to understand,” said Bhrahmbhatt. He said the Sena was not active as the BJP was working for the uplift of the Hindus, but once it has come to power it has forgotten the Hindus and has become a second version of the Congress. “It is then we are forced to come into picture,” said the president.

However, police commissioner Hiralal said that law of the land would prevail and that the police would take action against all those who violate the law. He said the department would ensure that law and order was maintained on C G Road.