A visit to Diglipur, North and Middle Andaman District, Andaman Nicobar Islands

I visited Diglipur recently, I was placed on duty to celebrate Panchayati Raj Day. Thus i had to travel to Diglipur from Port Blair. In evening i thought to see around where i was staying. Roaming nearby the guesthouse, walking down I saw a vegetable market.

I thought to visit market and find what are the rates of vegetable and fruits in this part of India? I wanted to search for anything which I can take back to Port Blair. In my mind the notion was that vegetables must be cheaper than Port Blair, since farming is one the prime occupation in Diglipur. Diglipur is the Northern most part of A &N Islands and the whole island is known as North Andaman.

On entering market i saw a partition kind of thing was made with a Net, that hanged like a curtain between two areas.

Such type of thing i had never seen anywhere else. There were many shops full of vegetables and various other things but no Man was there inside that area. When I asked one shop vendor siting just next to this Net, he replied today this market is closed, it’s a holiday today- being Sunday. 

I asked about the net and asked how these shops are protected? I mean who protects these shops? All the shops are full of vegetables. He pointed towards a man and said he is the watchman. 

It was surprising to me that this Net acts as boundary between the closed and open market. On this side many shop vendors are sitting and selling their produce. The closed and open market, both are under same roof. 

I asked the person who i thought was watchman, who has hired you? Municipality, Panchayat or anyone else? He replied the shop owners have hired me and they pay salary on monthly basis. I asked why the gram Panchayat cannot hire you? He said I don’t know. Other thing I came to know that the vendors sitting on the other side pay to this watchman on daily basis. 

Amal Hawladar clarified that each shop vendors give him Rs 10 daily. I just tried to count how many shops were there. I could count only upto 18 or 19 which were visible from the point where I was standing. Few vendors were sitting on steps and below steps, those I could not count. But he gets 180 or 200 daily from such vendors. Since it was Sunday that’s why vendors were less there.

I asked Amal, what or which vegetable I should buy to take back to Port Blair? He told lady’s finger is of Rs 40 or 30 and Pumpkin also. Bitter guard is for Rs 80. He said you take cucumber. I will give you for Rs 10 to 15.

I asked him Whether he grows these vegetables? and/or how he sells his produce at farm? He told I bring my vegetables here in market and vendors who buy in wholesale purchase from me. I give them at the rate of Rs 7/kg. Wholesale vendors take it to either Port Blair or Mayabunder or Rangat etc. 

He pointed towards a person and said he is a wholesale vendor.

I saw a man with a big bag in hand discussing with shop owners and bargaining. I approached him and asked him what he doing? He said I am buying some vegetables and will sell them in market at Mayabunder.

He said come sit here pointing towards the small wall that is actually the boundary of this market. We sat there and he started telling his story. I asked him tell me what are the difficulties he faces in this trade.

He told his side of story. The moment he started telling about hardships he faces and how he works here, his face was full of emotions, mostly ANGER- I could see. 

Anger was there, frustration, depression, anxiety and the sense that he is not able to do much as per his ambitions. He was very angry with the state of affairs in the market. He has a shop in that closed market. Since today is holiday so he cannot open his shop. He also told with lot of anger that if I sit here in this portion today people object to it, why they object for me? He says whatever I am doing is for stomach, putting his hand on his stomach.  He told he has family & children and to support them he has to work and earn livelihood. What he shall do? He cannot sit idle. Thus he buys vegetables from this market which is open today,  (mostly small vendors were there ) and takes them to Mayabunder to sell there. Probably at higher prices? as he has been doing for many years, so i think he must be making money or earning profit out of this business.  It was already 6 or 6.30 in evening. It was dark there. I thought at what time he goes to Mayabunder? and when he will return back to Diglipur to open his shop netx day?

His name was Nimayi. I said it is name of God- Bhagwan. He laughed and said yes you are right.

He put his foot on floor and told there were 28 such squares in this market originally and I am working here since beginning of this market. I am the oldest surviving shop owner here. For so many years I am selling vegetable here. But still he felt that he was unable to materialise the profits.

I asked why there is no cold storage here in Diglipur? Is that a problem for you or not? He immediately replied why there should be cold storage?, what benefit it will give? People buy from these sellers who sell fresh vegetable from their fields. If I keep in cold storage and sell it next day, nobody will buy them. He was visibly very angry, as he pointed towards the vegetable vendors sitting beyond the steps of market. He told there are so many shop vendors sitting on the footpath also. How can I survive? They are selling all over the road but see here I am. And cannot open my shop?  So he was angry with the increasing number of shop vendors selling on the roadside. And he wanted to do something so that he can earn. But I think he is frustrated with the system which is unable to provide him support.

I asked a general question, why there is no cooperative initiative so that people can buy at Diglipur and sell their produce at Port Blair? What are the hindrances or what are the difficulties? They all said they don’t know any such things.

Whether I was being a pseudo-intellectual? I myself had no answers to these questions? What are difficulties faced by farmers at Diglipur? What are their daily requirements/ expectations from system? I had asked few vendors, whether they know any initiative taken by Agriculture, Cooperative departments, they all denied & said they know anything. But being a dreamer I kept on thinking what is the problem? shall i take them on face value? are they telling true situation? Am i asking correct questions? 

Searching the market I found this boy, so young, so innocent. 
(since at-least he agreed to talk to me, sparing his precious time). He was busy with his work but I interrupted him. He should be angry at me, but he was innocent. He is Subrato Das, a student of class X at Senior Secondary School Diglipur but his home is at DB gram (Desh Bandhu Gram) few km away from Diglipur. I asked how he comes daily to school? He said he comes daily to school either by bus or with father and sometimes return by taking auto. I thought why he can’t ride a bicycle? Is the road is not good or the distance is long Or what? I don’t know? But thing is, He has to visit by covering some distance to attend school. Class X requires more time for studies, preparation for CBSE Board exams. Students at Port Blair- city attend many tuition classes. Day and night parents are seen busy transmuting their wards from here and there for tuition classes, even within their office working timings they take out time for their wards. But here is this boy busy with selling vegetables in market in evening. I did not ask whether he does it daily?

I did not ask him whether he comes daily to market to sell Or today only he has come to market?

He could not have come only for that day. Since, if that is the case, he could not have got opportunity to occupy a space in market, for which shop owners/vendors are over jealous. For such things and for profit they fight for space, for attention of costumers, and sometimes they fight with costumers if they park their two wheelers in front of the shop.

When I told Subrato that I don’t have bag to carry vegetables, he immediately rushed to one shop in corner and asked in Bengali for a bag. He got one bag for me. I thought he is kind enough to give me a bag. But to my surprise he said Rs 10 is added for this bag. I was shocked. I had purchased lady’s finger and Brinjal totalling to Rs 40 and if Rs10 is added that cost me Rs 50. That was not a deal of profit for me I thought. Lady’s fingers were also not very good. But thinking inside my head as all people think that it is humanity to help others specially if such a young boy doing hard work to sell vegetables in market. Inside i was so depressed seeing and talking to him, it was hard to hold back my tears.

Vegetable market, Diglipur

Andaman Nicobar Islands are one of then best tourism destination in the country. it is most pristine, unpolluted, full of green natural beaches. Diglipur as such is in northern most part of Andamans. many beaches are here to see. Nearby I visited Turtle resort, maintained by Administration. The engineer who is posted here, graciously drove me from the panchayat where i was placed on duty.  He was also there. decor was beautifully done, particularly i liked ecofriendly hanging planting pots 

Kalipur beach

As he drove further off from the road & turned towards a beach, Eyes seemed struck by bright light. It was beautifull sight, there was a large sea beach. I think he told it is Kalipur Beach. I am little confused whether it was Kalipur or Lamia Bay?

I tried to click few snaps

In the background of photo below few hills are visible, it is saddle peak. At height of 732 mtr, it is the highest point of the archipelago in the Andaman Nicobar Islands, Bay of Bengal.

Kalipur beach, Diglipur- Saddle peak in background

Here also from APWD Guest House, where i stayed, i could see that famous Saddle Peak. I heard people/ tourists go for trekking too on these hills. It can be destination for adventure tourism in Andamans. 

 

I have heard that on this area around the saddle peak, lot of oranges grow. I thought whether people grow or Oranges are found naturally growing there? from the guest house i saw this tree and tempted to click, it was seemingly of Orange? 

As a nature lover i always had a dream to live among natural surroundings, during my childhood i had lived in villages. Whenever there were school holidays in summer or winter we always went to villages. Looking at this beautifull sight of Saddle peak from Guest house tempted me to delve into going their for sight seeing, trekking. 

Kalipur Beach, Diglipur