Jawed Khurshid

Every year the festival of light brings joy and illumines the faces of people here. A few Muslim shopkeepers at Kalbadevi used to sell decorative material since past many decades. This exemplifies an oasis of bromance in the highly polarized ambience of the city.  

Mustafa Bootwala of Bombay Electricals, off Mangaldas Road in Kalbadevi, is running his shop for the last two decades. The narrow lane in this one of the oldest part of South Mumbai that houses Bootwala’s shop always remain cramming with people mostly during this festive month; jostling and shoving each other to purchase decoration materials.  

Though the business this year is low compared to the last year, Bootwala, however, was in his narrative best, “ I use to keep the best quality colourful paper and ribbon lanterns, besides earthen jalis with illuminating diyas to light up the corners of the house.”  “Fairy lights in different shapes and colour can be used to decorate plants and trees in the garden. Artificial birds, diyas look good on trees as well,” he added.

Nowadays, people team up electrical diyas with terracotta bells and small terracotta birds to beautify the outdoor.

Murtaza of Reliable Electric, who sells decoration material since past 6-7 years too feel stung by economic lows. However he sounded more articulate when he said, “The mismanagement and shoddy economic policies have resulted into price rise. This is keeping the people at bay.”

Like Bootwala and Murtaza, there are many other Muslims too who sell decoration and fireworks during this festive month. One wonder why they become so barbed once this illuminating light fades away.