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Uruka today: Sweet tales of bitter truth

Today is Uruka. Brisk preparations are afoot in the city to celebrate the Bhugali bihu with traditional fanfare and gaiety. The common people are left worried in the face of skyrocketing price hike while some others are cashing on in the unprecedented price hike.

Assam is throbbing with activities to prepare for the uruka’s harvest festival. The scent of traditional Assamese laru, pitha and other recipes are all that say that Bihu is here.

For Jyotsan Bora, Dheki is an inseparable from the Assamese. But it is going to extinct even in rural life. She said, but we are trying to continue this tradition”.

But for a section of residents in the city, the Bihu shopping has some bitter experience due to galloping prices of essential commodities along with those required to celebrate the festival. Vegetables, fishes and meats are pouring in the city markets but as if all these are only for the rich people. Speaking to Assamtimes, a trader said Rohu costs Rs 420 per kg, Aanri Rs 450 while Chitol is for Rs 400. Again China duck Rs 700 per pair and today it is going up Rs 1,000.

Due to the soaring prices the lower middle class people find it difficult to enjoy the feast to enjoy. But for the rich ones, anything and everything is affordable.

Himani Chetia said poor people are helpless in the time of soaring prices. The rich people have nothing to be worried. They have cash and can spend.

All these are for a section of dishonest businessmen, said a cuty housewife adding that the government has no control over it. The government the Guwahati Municipal Corporation should look into it.

Another housewife on the outskirt of the city said, “we face lots of difficulties for the unprecedented price rise”.

“We are left helpless due to in scarcity of cooking gas. We failed to get cylinder even after lining up for hours,” she said further.

But despite hardpressed by the soaring prices, the customers are there in the markets to prepare for the bihu as it is Assam’s tradition to be celebrated with much pomp and gaiety.

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