Strange though it might sound, the most sought after implements as the holy Muslim festival of Eid approached were shovels, hammers, crow-bars and other tools that come handy in demolishing concrete.
Some shopkeepers in Srinagar have even started advertising special tools to raze brick and mortar structures in the shortest possible time.
While some shopkeepers are doing good business, for others, even the festival of Eid has not brought good tidings, thanks to Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's much publicised drive against illegal structures.
Some towns like saffron rich Pampore are already being referred to as 'Torah Borah' because of the massive demolitions the Mufti's administration undertook to 'beauty it'.
People have now begun referring to the Mufti as the 'Bulldozer Boss of Kashmir'.
"As he started demolishing our shops, there was pain and blood, but no healing," said Tariq Ahmad, who sells newspapers in Lambert lane, referring to the Mufti's 'healing touch' doctrine.
"My family depended on my shop for our livelihood."
"I had the permission of the Srinagar municipality, but that could not prevent the shop from being razed to the ground," he said.
"We will demolish all the unauthorised constructions in the Kashmir valley. Majority of the people want to rid the city of powerful encroachers. Pressure from the public has grown so much that owners themselves are demolishing unauthorised constructions," says Srinagar municipality administrator Mohammad Aslam.
One reason for people to voluntarily demolish illegal structures is that they fear civic authorities would destroy even the authorised parts of their business establishments.
There are several supporters of the campaign.
"We support the campaign launched by Mufti sahib to rid Srinagar of encroachers as it was difficult for people to walk on the city's footpaths," says Dr Abdul Rashid.
Shopkeepers say the demolitions have unsettled business in the summer capital.
To top this, people are not loosening their purse strings, which some believe is the result of a recession with even government departments facing a shortage of funds.
Even Eid has failed to bring about any improvement in the situation. There are no crowds on the streets and even those that have ventured out are not buying.
Most people are out window-shopping. "People are visiting my shop but no one is buying," said Mushtaq Ahmad, whose shop is on the fashionable Residency Road.
"People are keeping away. So, I am only guarding the goods and overseeing some repairs in my shop," says another shopowner M A Shah.
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