Moolakotharam situated near the Basin Bridge is a famous dry fish market since 1860's. The goods came through the Buckingham canal from Gujarat, Mumbai and Andhra Pradesh, trade flourished in this part from where dry fish was exported to other parts of Tamil Nadu such as Tindivanam, Kumbakonam, Villupuram, Mayavaram to name a few. But as people started to get refined in terms of culture and life style, this place started to lose its charm and the number of traders drastically dropped down, from 200 shops in early 1900's to 5 wholesale and 10 retail shops earning about Rs.1600/- per day.
Today, its condition is miserable, the Government has said that the area would be cleared in few months as the metro rail work is scheduled to begin soon. The Government has been showing a lot of injustice towards the people of this area, "they denied license to our shops for over 3 years and this year due to certain reasons they issued the license for all three years altogether", said Mr.M.V.Mohammed, a wholesaler in that area who has been there ever since his birth. When asked him , what he would do if he had to give up his shop, he said "we would put them on rickshaws and sell them wherever we can, "the Corporation is a powerful entity and we are nothing infront of them",says Mohammed.
They have given up and are ready to move out of the place eventhough they do not have a place of relocation. when asked other shopkeepers , they either kept silent or acted as if they had no idea of the issue, something ponders them from letting out their opinion, though they live in a land of complete freedom.
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