‘Had a stall at Mumbai's Bandra fair for 40 yrs, where do I go now’

The protesters mostly comprise women and senior citizens who have had stalls at the Bandra fair for generations

It was the seventh day of protests at Mount Mary, where senior citizens and women who previously had stalls at the Bandra fair protested against the new, hiked stall rentals. The church will start distributing around 600 forms for 150 stalls from Monday with the new rates. As mid-day reported earlier, people who have been running stalls for generations strongly protested against the decision to hike the rent from Rs 150 per sqft to Rs 3,000 per sqft.

The church then slashed the rent to Rs 900 per sqft. The protesters say, however, that this is still exorbitant, adding up to Rs 90,000 for a 100 sqft stall. With their attempts to meet Cardinal Oswald Gracias to resolve the issue bearing no fruit, their protest continued at the fair's application form distribution window on Saturday.

Catherine Lopes, 71, said, "We have grown old working at the fair for so many years. The church wants us to pay for infrastructure like the steps and toilets, but these are meant for lakhs of devotees who visit daily, and not particularly for us." Another protester, Parvati Donge, 79, said, "Sorry, Father, if we are asking too much. Where will we go? The earnings from the fair tide us through the entire year."

Anuradha Shelar, 70, said, "I have been selling items at stalls here for the last 40 years. This is my source of livelihood. Where should I go now?" The church remains firm on its decision, however, stating: "Further reduction in rent will impact the recovery of costs incurred by the church on infrastructure."