The process of buying and selling animals at the Pushkar Camel Fair is a regulated affair. All animals entering the fair grounds are issued a receipt; these need to be produced when the animal is sold.
At the end of all trading, the Government also issues a Safed Chitthi, a kind of a sale deed between the buyer and seller. And these have to be produced at checkposts as proof that only bonafide owners are in possession of animals. There have been incidents when animals have been stolen at night; after all, everyone sleeps in the open during the fair. People usually take turns staying awake to ensure their animals are safe. These receipts also serve as a record of the volume of trade each year, and the value commanded by the animals.
Where is the problem? When I went to one of the points where these receipts were being issued, I could only hear a lot of commotion. The rural folk seemed to be arguing with the only Government official at work there. Within a few minutes of my reaching there, he left. Some farmers scampered after him, offering up to Rs. 20 (forty cents) as bribe to issue the receipt. But he said he is not one of those who takes bribes and went off; was he an honest bloke or did he say that for the benefit of the journalist he saw in me?
What was all the commotion about? To sum up from what some of the people told me: work on issue of receipts is supposed to start at 10 am, the official came only at 3 pm and left within two hours. Leaving the rest for the following day. All those without receipts would have to camp another day, spend at least Rs. 100 on feeding each animal for one more day and a similar amount on each person who had come. It is a lot of money for them. All because the official was inefficient. And it is a similar story every year. They cannot leave till they get this receipt.
As I walked away feeling a bit sorry, one of the women followed me to add to a few more bits of woe. And then asked if I could pay her ten or twenty rupees for dinner. I gave her ten and took some more pictures of her in return. Everything comes at a price here.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
How interesting…went to the fair last year. Saw the dance of horses and the competitions etc. But wasn’t really aware of what goes on in the background. Gives a story to the pics we’ve taken of the people camping on the ground. Thanks soo much!!
From the point of view of outsiders who capture the beauty of the animals, the the sheer rural flavor of the fair…
http://devingel.vox.com/library/post/pushkar—music-people-clothes-and-something-special.html
Yes, right everything comes at a price but sometimes even after after the price it dont come..
Ekta me,Kanika & appu clicked pics of ppl waiting in long Q for safed chithi.
hey anybody know about camel export from india? i would like to buy 50camels . if anybody can give a idea about it?