The community of bread-makers (nanbai) in Peshawar has run out of patience. Most of their grievances appear to be valid, to say the least. In a statement, they have said that a bag of wheat flour (atta) is being provided to them at ‘tandoors’ for Rs7,200 or more. Therefore, the district administration should allow them to sell a 120-gram ‘roti’ for Rs 20 and not Rs15. They say that buying ‘atta’ at a costlier rate, and selling ‘roti’ at a cheaper rate, is a formula for financial disaster for them.
They complain that they are already paying the heavy Sui gas bills at commercial rates. When gas is not available or the pressure is very low, they have to buy gas cylinders, often in the black market. Every other day, they have to pay heavy fines to the food inspectors, when they conduct random or surprise raids on ‘tandoors’ to check the weight of ‘roti’. The ‘nanbais’ say that they have to cook ‘rotis’ in the scorching mid-June heat, which is by no means an easy task. After all, they too have large families to feed.
With every passing day, it is becoming hard for them to make both ends meet. Many of the ‘nanbais’ have abandoned working on ‘tandoors’ and started alternative jobs like driving rickshaws and taxicabs. They have said that if the government does not allow them to sell a 120-gram ‘roti’ for Rs 20, they would go on an indefinite shutter-down strike from June 15. We do hope that the community of ‘nanbais’ will not be driven to the wall. After all, the ‘nanbais’ represent the decades-old, typical food culture of Peshawar.