Pune protests in style

The sale of Gandhi topis (caps) in the city has swelled by almost 70% as people are making a beeline to various shops to wear them during protest marches and rallies.

Apparently, since the demand has shot up, the price of the caps has gone up from Rs7 per piece to Rs15.

The Gandhi cap is part of the attire of veteran Gandhian and anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare.

A shop selling such caps located at Electric Market in Budhwar Peth, Murudkar Zendewale, has sold 4,000 caps these past two days.

“Usually we sell four or five caps a day. Only on special occasions like a wedding or some ceremony, people come to the shop to buy the Gandhi cap. After Hazare was taken into custody, people came on the streets and started protesting. Since then, people are coming in large numbers to buy the cap,’’ said Girish Murudkar, whose grandfather started the store almost 80 Sanket Deshpande years ago.

Puneites are turning up to buy the Tricolour and uparna also to support the ongoing movement. He claimed he has not taken any advance from the customers.

“People have given us orders, but we have not taken any advance. It is not a business for us. This is a small gesture to show our support for Hazare,’’ added Murudkar.

From school students to senior citizens to rickshawalas to IT professionals, people are thronging shops to buy the caps.

The caps are manufactured in a workshop in Dhankavdi. There are 10 workers who are working day and night to meet the demand.

“The workers are helping in printing the tag line ‘Me Anna Hazare’. We have also made some caps with tag lines ‘Mai Anna Hazare hoon’ in Hindi for people taking the caps outside the state to extend the support,’’ added Murudkar.
They have also come up with some posters with slogans in support of Anna. 

“We have printed 25,000 posters which we are distributing free all over the state. We appeal to people to put these stickers and posters in rickshaws and other prominent squares to spread the word against
corruption.’’

Another 50-year-old shop, LG Gosavi Kapadwale in Budhwar Peth, is trying to fulfill the demand of the customers.

“The sale has increased by 50% in our shop. In one day, we sold 400 caps to various students and rickshawalas,’’ said Sunil Shinde, a salesman at the shop.