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Flourishing fish trade feeding many families

By Staff reporter

GUWAHATI, May 16 � Despite the challenges in their trade, the Brihattar Uzanbazar Anusuchit Nibanuwa Matshya Byabashayi Santha has scripted a success story by dint of their hard work and indefatigable attitude towards life.

The trade which ensures that big money comes in certain season and on some other season pushes the traders almost to the brink of tears, has been running on family line, but in the recent years, many unemployed youths have come forward to do business in fish.

The general secretary of the Santha Bhaskar Das said that the founder members of the Santha were involved in this trade as it was their family tradition. The Santha has 31 founder members. It was floated in the year 2002.

�We did not search for government job. Despite the problems, the trade has enabled all of us to enjoy life as we had imagined,� said Das expressing his satisfaction at being able to improve his way of living through this trade.

Das said that at present around 3000 unemployed youth mainly from the lower Assam districts were involved in the trade. �These unemployed youth buy fish from us and sell on retail,� he mentioned.

Most of the unemployed youth who sell fish on retail after purchasing from the Santha hail from Barpeta, Sipajhar and Nalbari. However it needs to be mentioned here that this business of retail trade in fish is very often a seasonal business for these section of youth.

When it is the agricultural off season, some youth migrate to the capital city and do business in fish. On the other hand, some youth migrate to the city compelled by a livelihood crisis triggered by natural calamities and they too end up doing retail business in fish.

�On any day we get 1000 to 1500 unemployed youth who auction the fish,� informed Harit Medhi, working president of the Santha. Medhi said that the number of unemployed youth auctioning fish multiplies during the season when fish is a plenty.

The Santha is quite satisfied that more and more unemployed youth are coming forward and doing business in fish. The Santha�s season of good business will start after June 21. On this day, the Santha will offer its prayer to the river seeking its blessings for a prosperous season.

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