If you don’t stop profiteering, you will go to hell!” shrieked Payal, a transgender as she clapped her hands loudly at a poultry seller.
“Who are you to say that to me?” came the burly man’s meek response. He knew full well that he was helpless against this moral police. These transgender inspectors have been authorised by the city’s commissioner to go around in markets and scold, embarrass and complain against those selling commodities at higher rates.
Two hours before Iftar on Wednesday, transgender Payal and Fouzia, accompanied Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui and the assistant commissioner of Saddar to the Empress Market in a raid against profiteers.
The commissioner has included eunuchs in the campaign against profiteering as he feels their presence across the city can be effective. “Their role in the drive will also help them get respect in society,” said Siddiqui.
The eunuchs will accompany official teams on their raids. They will scream, shout and clap to embarrass the traders who charge exorbitant prices, making sure no one is spared.
“We are happy to help the government as, because of us, price lists are being displayed and people are refraining from profiteering. No one will suck the blood of the poor if we can help it,” said Fouzia, wishing that they were also paid for their services.
In Ramazan, the transgenders would also be going on their own, secretly checking if commodities were being sold according to the official rate list. If they aren’t, they will rebuke the shopkeeper and complain on the helpline provided by the commissioner’s office.
The slender Payal, who had visited the Empress Market a night before the raid, took the commissioner directly to a grocery shop whose owner was selling black peas for Rs100 per kilogramme instead of the official rate of Rs90.
“Transgender don’t lie. Why are you selling at higher prices?” questioned the commissioner firmly. He subsequently announced a fine of Rs10,000. The storekeeper looked away in dismay as the fine receipt was handed to him.
The team, flanked by cameramen and reporters moved ahead. But as soon as the sellers heard or saw them coming, they would lower their prices, prominently display the price list and stand alert with fake smiles plastered across their sweat-browed faces.
The group then entered the open-air poultry market and found a seller selling poultry at a higher price. One of the customers claimed to have bought the poultry from the shop at a higher price but the shop owner adamantly denied it.
Another shopkeeper barged in at this point. “Why are you fining us?” he questioned the commissioner angrily. “We are not lying. Our prices match the official list.” Things were about to turn ugly. But the commissioner would not hear anymore. The police took the man away and the poultry seller was also fined.
The fruit sellers were the cleverest. They ran away from their carts, leaving them unattended and were nowhere to be seen throughout the raid. “Where are your brothers? Why are they not here? Why are they not displaying their price list,” spat Fouzia at a man selling mangoes.
*Photo “Times of India”
