A wedding ring pawned to buy some bread

Queue at a pawn shop. Pic by M.A. Pushpa Kumara

Source:Sunday Times

Treasured gold jewellery such as wedding rings and children’s panchaudas (protection talismans) were taken to pawn shops this week by scores of desperate people when travel restrictions were lifted after weeks of lockdown.

Long queues were seen at pawning centres both in cities and villages. While most women turned away when approached by a reporter, some waiting to enter the shops were vocal about the growing cost of living.

Single mother D. Samanthi from Nugegoda said she used to work at a salon but now has no income for the household.

“There are young children, and we have to look after the elderly too, from buying medicines to making sure the children are fed. We have to survive. I ended up pawning some jewellery to have some money in case of another lockdown,” she said.

Wattala resident Palitha Nandasiri’s only valuable possession was his wedding ring. The 49-year-old turned up at the pawning shop on Monday morning with his ring. 

He is one of the many workers paid by the day, and during the lockdown he not only lost his wages from a factory job but also income he gained from a second job, doing gardening work in houses on Sundays.

“Our family members had to just watch the choon pan (mobile bakery product vendor) passing by as we did not have money to buy bread. It was my neighbours who helped me from time to time,” he said.

He said that when the area became isolated during the neighbours could not help him very much as they too had limited supplies.

Meanwhile, liquor shops reopening on Monday also attracted many who did not mind standing in long queues under the hot sun to grab their bottles. Supermarket liquor stalls were crowded with customers as some opted to buy and hoard before Poson Poya Day and fear of extended lockdown.

Similar queues at a bank and (below) at a liquor shop

Bank ATMs and entrances too saw crowds gathering as banks limited the number of customers allowed inside. Banks with limited online facilities saw longer queues, especially in the outstations.

While public markets did not attract many due to fear of COVID and also the spiralling vegetable prices, supermarkets saw crowds coming to select fresh vegetables and dairy goods.

With leading clothing retail shops remaining closed this week, crowds are still absent from shopping malls.

There were few travellers on public transport due to much office work being suspended during the lockdown, both in the public and private sector.