KOZHIKODE: Abandoned streets, buses without passengers, long queues of taxis and autos, gloomy malls and theatres, closed tourism spots; the business community in the city, the most affected after the outbreak of the disease here, is struggling to come out of the ‘nightmare’ caused by ‘Nipah’. For almost two weeks after the death of siblings Salih and Sabith, from Sooppikkada near Perambra, and the series of deaths that followed along with news about the spread of the disease, a pall of fear gripped the city.
The death of Liny, the nurse who attended the ailing Sabith was enough to scare away the bravest from streets. One after another people died and when the toll crossed 10 on May 22 the city fell silent. Residents vacated hostels close to hospitals. Buses cancelled trips. District Collector U.V. Jose urged public to keep off from gatherings and ordered cancelling all meetings, conferences, examinations and interviews. “Even the usually crammed Iftar gatherings and ubiquitous Malabari food stalls marking Ramzan season were missing this time,” said Abdul Gafur Darimi, the priest at Idyangara Mosque near Kuttichira. “Many marriages and religious meetings were postponed,” he added.
“Though the ‘alert’ against gatherings is still there, the mood is changing as there were no Nipah deaths for the last one week,” he pointed out. Traders claim that they saw some movement in the city in the last two days. “City is getting back to normalcy though on a slow pace,” said C.E. Chakkunni, chairman, Malabar Development Council. “The outbreak came at a time the traders started displaying the items eying Ramzan-school opening season. Now school bags, note books and uniform cloths are yet to be purchased,” he said, adding that due to Nipah fear families that used to roam on MS Street, the market hub of the city, to buy routine school items, kept off.
Kerala Vyapari Vyava-sayi Ekopana Samithy chairman T. Nazrudheen told DC that it is for the first time in his memory the city is found deserted in such a manner except on hartal days. “We are yet to assess the total loss to the business community,” he said. “The state government should chalk out a plan to assist the traders of the city as the businesses of majority have been hit,” he added.
