Tamil Nadu: Unmanned shop revives Mahatma’s virtues

Tiruchi: To promote the virtue of honesty among the public, a day-long “Honesty Shop” was opened in Papanasam, Thanjavur, on Thursday, the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. “Aal Illa Kadai” (shop without a shopkeeper) in Tamil, was opened in a portion of the bus shelter in Papanasam, located on the Thanjavur-Kumbakonam main road, on Thursday morning, the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. Papanasam DSP Kumaravelu, who opened the shop, said that such initiatives would instill in people the value of honesty, a virtue Gandhi always stood for.
The shop offered plastic items, sweets like notebooks, pens, biscuits, and, most importantly, books on the life and works of Mahatma Gandhi. Items up to ₹15,000 were displayed, and each item had a price tag. Shoppers could choose the item of their choice and pay by dropping the price into a box kept in the shop. “This is the 26th year we’ve been running the Honesty Shop,” said Rotary Club President Murugavel. He said the shop saw brisk business from morning until 6 p.m. He added that customers, especially children, thoroughly enjoyed shopping at the Honesty Shop.