id-ul Azha has just come to an end, leaving behind joyous memories and an opportunity for reflection. While we relished the festivities and feasts, did we for a moment pause to pay gratitude to the individuals who helped to make our Eid happy — chiefly, the cattle sellers, butchers and sanitary workers? They are all at work during Eid holidays, braving numerous occupational challenges to ensure a smooth and festive celebration for us. They only have the busman’s holiday, proverbially speaking.

One such individual is Amir Bukhsh, an animal seller who hails from Kot Addu. He’s been in this occupation for almost three decades now. Through all these years, his routine has been constant: two weeks prior to Eid, he brings a truckload of cattle to Lahore for sale. He encamps near RA Bazaar in the cantonment area.

Bukhsh laments the fact that his work is not facilitated by the city district government. For instance, he is always faced with a lack of tents which he needs to duck his animals as well as himself in, against the scorching sun or a heavy shower. “I’ve to rent such essentials from the caterers who charge heavily because of the high demand during Eid season,” he tells TNS.

The general attitude of customers is also an issue. Bukhsh says there have been “countless instances when the customers were rude and accusatory, only because of the asking price of the animals. This Eid, invariably, every buyer said I was overcharging.”

An animal dealer says there have been “countless instances when the customers were rude and accusatory, only because of the asking price of the animals. This Eid, invariably, every buyer said I was overcharging.”

He relates how he and a few other animal sellers in the cattle market were interviewed by TV crews and YouTubers who were trying to make a case for high prices. “It’s not me or them [other animal sellers] who set the price of the animals; it’s the cost of feeding and rearing an animal, and the forces of supply and demand that determine the price.”

The absence of banks close to home exacerbates the problem of cash handling. “Because it was hot and humid during the day, most of our customers came to us in the evening. Large cash handling remained a big issue.”

Is online banking not an option? According to Bukhsh, “Of course, it is. I requested my customers to transfer money online to my bank account, but many of them weren’t comfortable with it.”

n the realm of meat sellers, Muhammad Ramazan has been a stalwart all his life. He comes from a remote village of Muzaffargarh, but every year, around Eid-ul Azha, he heads out to Lahore.

He has a dedicated team of six people working for him on Lawrence Road. Talking about the challenges he faces with respect to his job, Ramazan speaks particularly of “untrained people masquerading as butchers on Eid days. They lack proper training which often results in substandard services and can spoil the experience for many.”

Secondly, despite his expertise and years of experience, Ramazan finds it hard to convince the customers of the surge in meat prices. “For the past five years, I’ve been charging Rs 2,000 to 4,000 for a goat, depending on its size; and Rs 10,000 to 20,000 for a cow, or a calf, or a bull, also based on their size. This Eid, although I charged the same, I don’t think that’s fair.”

he contribution of sanitary workers on Eid-ul Azha is also not to be missed. However, they seem to be distressed by the lack of cooperation from the general public when it comes to proper disposal of offal and other animal waste.

A spokesperson for the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) says that despite being provided large bags for waste collection, many people throw waste on the roads and streets without covering it. “This disregard for proper waste management not only mars the aesthetics of the city but also poses health hazards for the community,” he says.

Earlier, in a press release, the LWMC had affirmed its commitment to continuing with the cleanliness drive during the Eid holidays. In fact, the company is believed to have started working on making Lahore waste-free days prior to the Eid. Preparations were made at the union council and zone levels. The LWMC CEO, Babar Sahib Din, said the operation had expanded to 274 union councils of the city.

He emphasised the department’s commitment to the workers’ well-being, providing them with umbrella caps and cool drinking water to combat the summer heat. He also spoke of the LWMC as granting “a food allowance of Rs 500 per day to the workers during Eid.”

The writer is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship