A glimpse of HISTORY

The Connemara Market, established two centuries ago at Palayam, is now struggling to maintain its legacy.

MENTION PALAYAM, and the image that springs to mind is that of the Connemara Market. It is the same scene everyday at the Market, says Kumaran, a headload worker who has been working here for the past 30 years. Kumaran becomes a worried man when monsoon approaches. Unless he gets the roof of his house repaired this year, rainwater will seep into the rooms.

There are many others like him. The fish and vegetable vendors borrow money to buy the fish and vegetables, sweat it out all day long and make enough money to pay back the interest in the evening.

"The number of customers coming to the market here is dwindling day by day," says Kumaran. "Development has always been on the cards, but the Corporation authorities continue to turn a deaf ear to the pleas of the people here."

Palayam is known as a symbol of communal harmony with a temple, mosque and a church jostling for space. The Connemara Market was established two centuries ago. The Market, which had its salad days, is now struggling to maintain its legacy. It was in 1817 that Rani Parvatibai issued an order to Diwan Venkitarayar to build a market here. This was done to enable goods to be sold to sepoys and the residents. "The name Connemara was given to the market in the memory of Connemara, the Madras Governor, who visited the erstwhile Travancore," says Pattom Ramachandran Nair, author of `Thiruvananthapurathinte Ithihasam'.

A couple of decades ago, the Market was famous for the fresh fish sold here. "Initially four families were brought in from Thiruvancode in Tamil Nadu to sell fish here," says Padmakumar, secretary, Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi, Connemara Unit, who owns a garment shop at the Connemara market.

"People used to bring fresh fish on bicycles from places as far as Kanyakumari," recalls Maniyan, another headload worker who has been here for the last 30 years. But with the development in transport facilities, fish from the shore of Karvar, Mangalore and Goa began to find their way into the households of Malayalis. Wholesale fish business prospered at the Connemara Market along with other trades.

During that time, the authorities concerned decided to build a complex to boost the trade. But soon, the vendors found it difficult to sell meat and fish in the inside the complex. They set up shops outside the complex and carried on their trade. In a short time, waste products began to be piled up and the market and its vicinity changed into a dumping yard. The stench emanating from the garbage piles and unhygienic conditions prompted the local residents to take action. "The waste began to attract scavenging birds and swarms of flies, making life miserable for us," says one of the local residents. Most people prefer to use the open space behind the market instead of the public comfort station inside the Connemara Market.

Soon, the dumping ground was shifted elsewhere and the wholesale fish trade was shifted to Edapazhanji. "This upset the business at the Connemara Market," says Thresia, a fish vendor. "We had a flourishing business here, especially because of the fish market here."

"All business has its takers. People come here to buy vegetables, provisions, garments and a variety of household items. The shops which sell readymade garments are doing quite well, " says Shahul Hameed, treasurer, Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi, Connemara Unit, who also runs a tobacco shop in the market.

Everything from shirts to nighties and salwar kameezes come very cheap. "There are few takers for expensive garments," says Padmakumar. There are 245-odd shops inside the market of which a majority of are open stalls. "Most of the wayside shops do no have licences and the contractors who collect taxes from them are fleecing the shopkeepers. We intimated the Corporation authorities and asked them to put up a board here, stating the amount to be paid as tax. But all our efforts went in vain."

Most of the traders at the market say that business is quite bad, these days. The vendors, who set up stalls at the entrance of the market, selling plantain fruits, quote a high price for the fruits. The makeshift stalls and wayside vendors add to the commotion in front of the market.

"For business to look up, vendors need to change the manner in which they speak to the customers," observes Padmakumar. "Most of the fish vendors resort to foul language when the customers haggle over the price. They fail to understand that this kind of behaviour would only drive away people. There was a time when the middle-class and upper-class women used to frequent this market. These days, one hardly gets to see people from well-to-do families coming here." The fancy stores seem to be doing good business with a steady stream of customers pouring in. The shopkeepers, however, have not given up hope.

MANU REMAKANT

Photos: S. Gopakumar
Graphics: V. Velayutham

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