It's Diwali time everywhere. From shoppers to shopkeepers, everyone is brimming with enthusiasm. The city of nashik is bustling with frenzied activity. People are happy, excited and want to make the most of this festive season.

As is the custom for most families in India I too decided to do some shopping this Diwali and set out to visit a few stores.

I must tell you it's quite heartening to see that a lot of global brands with quality products in ample varity are now availiable in Nashik, be it electronics, computers, automobiles, readymade clothing and many other things.

The new stores too are pretty modern, freshly designed and stocks are well maintained. Even staff members and properly dressed sales people can be seen in these shops and stores, which is again refreshing to see ,specially in Nashik.

Unfortunately this is where it ends!

Over the last few years the landscape of Nashik has had a drastic change , but what remains to be changed is the attitude of the people who reside here.

Specially the one's in business.

It's really disheartening to see a whole set of people with such poor and pathetic social and business skills. A large number of people so apathetic to others who provide them with their livelihood in more ways then one, probably may not be found elsewhere, atleast I am yet to find so many such people out of Nashik.

These words by a famous author ring in my ears whenever I experience the poor attitude of the sales people in business in Nashik and I quote,

" A person who does not know how to smile, must not open a shop."

In a readymade garments store a young lady was trying to find something she wanted, after showing her a couple of clothes the sales guy told her, rather rudely, that it's no use my showing you any more clothes because if you are not able to decide from what I have shown you already ,i'm sure you will not decide even if I show you ten more clothes. This was the first incidence I witnessed for the day.

Later I went to a furniture shop as I wanted to buy a small table for a specific use. But the store did not have the one I desired. As I was leaving the store, I happened to see a brochure which I picked up to see, and to my utter surprise and shock the salesman suddenly took the paper away from me saying that I must just leave the shop as I was not going to buy anything.

All a Customers wants is to be respected and it seems to me the dictonary of Nashik business has no place for this word.

What more can one expect from people who have a statutiory line in responce to most things
" Chalta Hai."


" Happy Diwali folks!"

Hope you have a set of different experiences.

cecildavid@in.com