Amid the vibrant festivities of the 25th Hornbill Festival at the Heritage Village, Kisama, several entrepreneurs highlighted the challenges they faced while running stalls at the venue.
Speaking to Nagaland Post, a group of housewives running a stall, many of whom have been camping at the venue for days, expressed disappointment over low sales, significant expenses, and operational difficulties all of which have dampened their experience.
They disclosed that each stall cost Rs 6,000 in rent and an additional Rs 3,000 as a non-refundable fee paid to the Tourism department. According to them it was a steep cost, since sales have been sluggish and which has cast a shadow on the likelihood of making any profit in their endeavour.
“We haven’t made a single rupee today,” one entrepreneur complained and added “Yesterday, we sold a few items, but it’s far from enough to cover our expenses.”
Several have expressed concerns about how stalls were allocated. It was learnt that 51 stalls were allotted through a lottery system, but that some prime locations were reportedly allotted at higher fees.
The entrepreneurs also highlighted lack of proper facilities at the venue such as insufficient washroom facilities. Visitors and participants often have to stand in long queues at the lone pay-and-use toilet nearby. They felt this was discouraging potential customers and adding to the challenges faced by stall owners.
Further, those who are running stalls have had to make makeshift sleeping arrangements near their stalls due to the lack of accommodation. “We start preparing food and items for sale early in the morning and camp here overnight, but the lack of proper facilities is frustrating,” they said.
Another pressing issue was the absence of fixed operational hours. Unlike previous years where stalls were required to close by 9 p.m., some now remain open until 2 a.m. and accompanied by loud blare of music.
“Some stalls play music all night and we find it impossible to sleep and over the few days we are experiencing deprivation of adequate sleep that affects our productivity” one of them said wryly. He felt that stalls should close by 11 p.m. to strike a balance between entertainment and rest.
Another aspect of the 25th Hornbill Festival has been permit for sale of liquor at various food stalls. Some entrepreneurs disclosed that while they purchased beer made in Assam from the Excise department at Rs 137 per can, they were required to retail it at Rs 250- a significant hike while a quarter bottle of Mc Rum was sold at Rs 250.
He also felt there was need to fix time for sale of food and beverage or liquor to avoid those late party goers. Reflecting on previous years, one entrepreneur recalled how heavy rainfall during the 2023 festival led to losses. “We couldn’t sell anything for three days, and this year’s poor sales are making us apprehensive” she said.
Many entrepreneurs lamented that footfall in the food stall area had decreased, likely due to the relocation of the designated space. Most customers are locals or their acquaintances visiting out of goodwill, while the new visitors come on being informed.
Efforts to contact officials from the Tourism department for comments permits and stall management went unanswered. Despite the challenges, some young entrepreneurs are experimenting with creative ideas to attract customers.
Another stall reported better sale of local rice beer compared to Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL On the first night, the stall sold 24 cans of beer but rice beer outselling the former.
As the Hornbill Festival progresses, the entrepreneurs express the hope that the authorities would look into their grievances, particularly operational timings, and basic facilities.
The entrepreneurs are hopeful that their grievances will lead to improvements to ensure better conditions and opportunities for small-scale participants.