Babu, business and the bygone days

26 September 2008

Balaji Babulal still owns the same garment shop he opened four decades ago. However, it makes him proud today that he has more friends than money. Sangay Wangchuk reports.

Balaji Babulal, popularly known as Babu, first came to Phuentsholing in 1970 when he was 18 years old. The magnificent mountains and beautiful landscape of Phuentsholing fascinated him as he came from the hot desert of Rajasthan in India.

Babu is the most popular businessman in Jaigaon in his dealing with Bhutanese customers for the last 38 years. However, what fascinates Babu today is the dramatic change that has swiftly come about in Phuentsholing within the last four decades.

“I still remember people riding horses in Phuentsholing. There were no concrete buildings and the tall trees dominated the landscape. People bartered apples, oranges and other perishable goods for rice, tea, salt and groceries,” he said.

Today Babu sees Prados, Land Cruisers and posh cars whizzing around the town. “If you still ride a horse in Phuentsholing today, your picture would be printed in newspapers. Things have changed a lot now. I miss those bygone days when the landscape was serene and beautiful,” he said.

Nostalgia aside, Babulal has emerged to be the most prominent business-man in Jaigaon today. He owns a posh car, a building and a very popular garment shop teeming with Bhutanese buying and stitching ghos and kiras. When he first set foot in Jaigaon, he claims to have had nothing.

Babu stitches ghos and kiras for almost all the schools in Bhutan and offers special student discounts. The six-footed Babu attracts his customers by offering tea and smiling in greeting. “Customer satisfaction is most important to become a successful businessman,” he said.

While Babulal charges Nu 150 for stitching a gho today, he said that the stitching charges were Nu 15 some three decades ago and his customers had a tough time to manage the sum. “Most of them followed the traditional barter system and did not have any money. They preferred bartering apples and oranges in exchange of anything,” he said.

Babulal expressed those days as peaceful when there was no electricity in Jaigaon. “There were no border demarcation line and people lived in some huts in Phuentsholing.” Being ignorant about the border demarcation line then, Babulal had built his building which extended till the border line. Ten years later he had to dismantle three rooms of his building which crossed the border line along the border demarcation.

However, his fledging business offset the loss of his rooms. Four decades of experience and his motto of customer satisfaction has popularized his shop – Balaji Tshongkang. Today the shop is a brand name for Bhutanese customers.

“I still own the same garment shop I opened four decades ago. However, it makes me proud today that I have more friends than money. I have known thousands of Bhutanese and most of them have become my close friends”- he said.

Becoming a popular businessman like Balaji Babulal might be a dream for many business aspirants. However, the popular Babu longs for the peaceful days and serene scenery of the bygone days of Phuentsholing. His dream is to resign soon and take refuge in nature where he could rejoice in peace.

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