SEMINAR Research proposal The Hafta Bazaars of Delhi

Damini Datta Esha Mathur Swarnabh Ghosh Nitin Agrawal Anirudha Sundaresan

Abstract Hafta Bazaars are an enduring phenomenon in the urban landscape of Delhi. A group of traders and vendors come together in the same physical realm and sell a variety of consumer goods. These markets are mobile and shift locations on each day of the week, catering to a diverse spectrum of consumers. They are resilient, efficient and over time, they have evolved and developed a structure with a set of rules and characteristics. This research explores the various facets of the bazaars and the place they occupy in the urban fabric. Participant observation and interaction shall form an important component of our research and will be used to derive inferences about the physical, social, political and economic aspects of the weekly markets.

Overview Weekly bazaars, the traditional style of retail markets are quite popular in Delhi, especially among the lower and middle income groups. These markets offer a diverse range of commodities from garments and footwear to utensils and spices. They operate in a systematic manner from locations that lie in close proximity to large residential sectors. The study will attempt to understand the economic, social and political aspects of the weekly bazaar and the people that are associated with it. Over time, these bazaars have developed distinct characteristics in terms of their organization, economy and hierarchy. The dynamic of the markets are layered and involve a certain degree of compromise and deal-making between all the stakeholders: the traders (and their leaders), the local authorities, the local law-enforcement agencies and the consumers. Operating on the fringes of regularization, these markets compete with a host of factors, all of which directly or indirectly affect them. Unlike planned development(s), they lack the physical security of permanence and are affected by a variety of factors ranging from policy decisions to something as simple as the weather. The primary component of the data will be obtained by ethnographic methods. First hand information will be obtained by participant observation on visiting the sites of these markets in Saket, Govindpuri, Amar Colony and RK Puram to name a few. It will include our interaction with people who are directly or indirectly associated with hafta bazaars ranging from traders to buyers. The proposed approach is the best as it shall give us an idea of the demographic, the operating procedures. Second hand information will be collected from sources such as libraries and public archives. Newspaper articles and websites will also be a part of our dataset during the process of researching.

Background and Significance The weekly bazaars form an integral part of the fabric of Delhi. Even as the city develops and undergoes metamorphosis, these markets continue to operate, with resilience and grow with their own set of patterns and networks forming microcosms of activity functioning within a larger urban framework but with a degree of aloofness. Furthermore, these markets attract a large percentage of regular buyers from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. It would be interesting to study and examine the characteristics which make these bazaars successful and whether these characteristics can be interpreted (and represented) in other ways.

As students of Architecture, it is pertinent that we address issues relevant to the city and the urban fabric of which Hafta bazaars form an integral part. Although our prior work has dealt with certain sociological and physical aspects at a city scale; this study will make an attempt to understand the role of these markets as part of the larger picture in Delhi.

Preparation and Work thus far Our initial perception of the market thought it to be an independent operating unit. We thought that this system was set up on a particular day of the week and wondered where these people actually came from, and to where they went. The question that we all had in our minds was how these people managed out of a days earnings for a week, and whether these traders had alternate sources of income. Our preliminary findings and the pilot study proved a lot of our presumptions wrong. We found the bazaars to be intricately organized in terms of structure and hierarchy. They had rules and regulations and operated in a systematic manner keeping tabs on various details such as number of shops, information about the traders etc.

Pilot Study Sunday Market at R.K.Puram Our preliminary study involved visit to the Sunday weekly market at R.K Puram where we interacted with the traders, consumers and the internal, self appointed regulatory body (South Delhi Weekly Bazaar Association). We asked the traders the following questions (these were pre-decided) :

Questionnaire 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. When did they start and become a part of the Hafta bazaars? What made them start? Where are they from? Where do they put up in Delhi? Are they the same people who go to different bazaars? If no, then what do they do on other days to earn a living? 6. Is the family involved in the same profession? 7. How are the people working in the shop related to them? 8. What kind of products do they deal in?
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9. Why are they selling that product? Is it their individual choice or is it part of the system? 10. What is their daily income? 11. What s the difference between a week end operation and a week day operation? Does that affect their income? 12. Where do they get their products from? 13. What is the peak time for sale? 14. Who decides whether a certain group of people can set up a bazaar at a particular place? 15. Are they content with the temporary set up of these bazaars? If yes then why? 16. Do they want it to be legalized? 17. How do they negotiate with the policemen?

At RK Puram, Mr. Sushil Kumar, who is a trader, gave us an insight on the functioning and configuration of the weekly bazaars. It is here that we understood the system that is adopted by the markets to reach out to maximum number of people of all classes and how these localities were authorised by the MCD, with agreement on the part of the RWA (Residents Welfare Association) of the various localities. The weekly Bazaars have a set number of traders who have been associated with it for a period of over thirty years. The traders themselves formed an association that is headed by a pradhan who would be a middleman between the MCD and the local authorities. The role of the pradhan as portrayed by himself is questionable as he stated to be doing a voluntarily act and that the system is one with no hassles. We would like to know more about the powers of the pradhan, his authority over the traders, and the way he exercises his control. Our interaction with the traders has made us aware that the markets operate within a definite framework and hierarchy; a highly organized system where the allocation of space is regulated and controlled with a standardized physical module. We also observed that a substantial percentage of the traders are first generation migrants from other states in search of employment. There are a variety of commodities that are sold in these markets ranging from perishable food items to readymade garments to household products. However, it is important to note that each vendor specializes in a particular commodity only. These markets are authorized by the MCD and have to pay a pre-decided sum for a physical module of space (fatta).

The Transformation of the street during the course of the day

Methodology and plan of work Our initial and most important step would be participant observation which will involve visits to the various markets functioning on different days in South Delhi. Information will be collected the form of photographs, videos, schematic sections, schematic plans and basic measurements. This exercise will help us to understand the physical space and the transformation of this space throughout the day. Also understanding how the character of these markets changes with respect to locality and with the varying physical space available. Markets visited so far:
Wednesday Market at Govindpuri (on 19th Jan, 2011) Sunday Market at R K Puram- Sector 7 (on 23rd Jan, 2011) Thursday Market at Gautam Nagar (Niti Bagh) (on 3rd Feb, 2011) Monday Market at Saket (on 7th Feb, 2011)

To be visited:
Tuesday Market at Sheikh Sarai Friday Market at Dakshin Puri Saturday Market at Amar Colony

Our next step would involve a direct interaction with the traders by means of informal conversation as well as a pre-determined questionnaire. This will enable us to understand the functioning of these markets and will account for a brief on the backgrounds of the traders to figure out their association with the bazaar. It is their knowledge that will set the main framework of our study and to understand more about the social and economic implications of the bazaars. Interaction with the MCD officials in-charge to understand the legalities and politics behind the hafta bazaar. The next step shall be interacting with the respective RWAs and understanding more about the larger context, if it hampers their functioning or does it inhibit it, are they in agreement with it or not, such questions shall be answered by them. Then we shall interact with secondary sources who have been studying these markets and acquire data already gathered by them and validating it. We shall take their opinion on the data gathered by us. Simultaneously, we shall follow Mr. Sushil Kumar (during the course of his workday) to understand the system of delivery. Also his relationship with the officials
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will be paid attention to in order to better understand the politics of the weekly markets. We shall go to pradhans office to get relevant data and to take his perspective on the functioning of these bazaars and the role that he plays in the operation of the markets.

Site justification Our case studies will be limited to the weekly bazaars in South Delhi. We are focusing on South Delhi as it best represents a blend of both historic and modern settings. In the recent years, South Delhi has emerged as one of the posh locales of Delhi amidst a number of historic settlements. The site is also dotted with a number of unauthorized resettlement colonies which have cropped up in the recent years. It is interesting to note how weekly bazaars have been strategically located near highly clustered locations to attract maximum consumers. It is also important to understand how these markets have sustained themselves amid the malls and commercial complexes in this region.

Source - http://www.delhicapital.com/delhi-maps/south-delhi.html

Conceptual Framework

Research Questions

Q1). What are the marketing practices adopted by the vendors of the weekly markets? How effective are these? Q2). How have these markets been able to make a mark in an economically affluent region that is known for its posh markets? Q3). What is the impact of these bazaars on the immediate vicinity as well as the larger urban fabric? The inconvenience (convenience?) that it causes to people on the other side of the wall shared between the traders and the inhabitants or how at certain cases it benefits these people who make use of this opportunity by becoming effective participants of the bazaars Q4). How mobility has giving them an edge over the other permanent informal markets?

Bibliography
S.Raymond, Eric. 2000. The Cathedral and the Bazaar. Roy, Ananya. Urban Informalities.

The Indian Express Online Media. (August 9, 2004) Weekly markets set to be regularised. [Online] Available from: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/weekly-markets-set-to-be-regularised/497650/ (accessed january 21, 2011). (january 19, 2011) Weekly markets a nuisance for many.[Online] Available from: http://www.jagrancityplus.com/city-news/weekly-bazaars-a-nuisance-for-many_1295499634.html (accessed january 23, 2011). (june 28, 2008) Future of Local Bazaars (markets) in India.[Online] Available from: http://www.articlesbase.com/ecommerce-articles/future-of-local-bazaars-markets-in-india-458463.html (accessed febuary 7, 2011). www.mospi.gov.in. Tezpur University, Department of Business Administration, Tezpur ASSAM. Summary Report on SWOT Analysis of Traditional Weekly Market Network System A Comparative Study in Tribal and Non-Tribal Areas in Middle Assam.[ Online] Available from: http://www.mospi.gov.in/research_studies_swot.html (accessed feb 7, 2011). (July - August, 2006) www.manushi-india.org .Frauds in the Guise of Reform Municipal Agencies Mislead the Court to Sabotage National Policy for Street Vendors.[ Online] Available from: http://www.manushiindia.org/pdfs_issues/PDF%20Files%20155/MK%20Article.pdf (accessed feb 7, 2011). Meshram, D.S. www.itpi.org.in. Building informal sector into development plan mpd, 2021.[ Online] Available from: http://itpi.org.in/content/pdfs/july_01.pdf (accessed feb 7, 2011). Hashmi, Sohail. august 6, 2007. The hafta bazaars of delhi.[Online] Available from: http://kafila.org/2007/08/06/the-hafta-bazaars-of-delhi/ (accessed january 22, 2011). Jain, Varupi. november 2003. http://www.indiatogether.org/2003/nov/eco-bazaar.htm (accessed january 23, 2011). Khan, Aasim. june 19, 2005. http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/urbanstudygroup/2005-June/001923.html (accessed january 21, 2011). Tagore, Shailly Arora & Aoneha. http://www.manushi.in/vdogallery.php?catId=119 (accessed january 24, 2011). Kumar, Ramesh, interview by Group 1. (january 23, 2011).

Kumar, Sushil, interview by Group 1. (january 23, 2011). Lal, Chote, interview by Group 1. (january 23, 2011). Moolchand, interview by Group 1. (january 23, 2011). Singh, Kuldeep, interview by Group 1. (january 23, 2011).

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