India
oi-PTI
Traders’ bodies across the country have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, expressing serious concern over public movement restrictions due to recent protests against the CEC.
In separate letters written between Monday and Wednesday, the trade organisations and industry bodies said that though they respect the rights of every organisation, it should be ensured that the timing and manner of protests do not affect businesses, especially during the festive season.
Across India, traders’ groups have formally requested PM Narendra Modi, CJI Surya Kant, and Rahul Gandhi to enact stronger protections against protests disrupting economic activities, particularly during the vital festive season impacting markets and livelihoods.
The organisations sought stronger legal and administrative measures to protect markets, commercial establishments, industrial areas and major transport routes from blockades and forced shutdowns. The last few days have seen protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in different parts of Delhi.
Over the weekend, the capital turned into a fortress, with massive barricading and deployment of security personnel, and closure of 45 metro stations and multiple roads. On Monday, central Delhi witnessed heavy barricading and road closures as opposition leaders marched to the Supreme Court to file a joint petition against the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. In its letter to PM Modi on Wednesday, the New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA) sought effective legal measures to protect traders’ freedom to conduct business and ensure security in commercial areas.
It said traders play an important role in generating employment and contributing to economic growth, and that disruptions to markets and commercial activities adversely affect their livelihoods. The association urged the government to ensure a safe and secure business environment, strengthen legal provisions to protect traders and take effective action against disruptions that prevent customers from reaching markets and workers from accessing their workplaces.
It also called for steps to ensure that traders can operate without fear or uncertainty, particularly during the festive season. In a letter to Gandhi, the Federation of Trade and Industry of India (FTII) urged the leader of opposition to call off the protests over SIR, saying that the demonstrations are creating uncertainty among traders during a crucial business period. The letter said the period from Navratri to Chhath Puja is particularly important for businesses across the country, with the livelihoods of crores of traders, employees and their families linked to trade during the festive season.
“Such protests are creating an atmosphere of instability and apprehension in the country, adversely affecting markets and business activities,” FTII national president Sanjay Bansal said in the letter. The Bharatiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal also wrote to Gandhi on Monday and said that persistent political rallies are causing distress to small industrial units, retail workers and daily wage earners. “Festive sales allow small-scale enterprises to clear their outstanding debts and sustain employment.
Choking access to markets during this critical phase is an act of extreme socio-economic irresponsibility. Political posturing must never mean denying citizens their fundamental right to trade and earn,” the association said. It called for an immediate cessation of blockades across commercial sectors, noting that the systematic destruction of merchants’ livelihoods will not go unanswered by voters. In another letter sent to Gandhi on Monday, the Jaipur Vyapar Mahasangh accused him of putting traders’ interests at risk for political gains.
“At a time when the country is talking about ease of doing business, your policies have led to chaos on the streets,” Jaipur Vyapar Mahasangh president Subhash Goyal said in the letter. The body urged Gandhi to end the protests immediately and warned that the trading community will not remain silent if its interests continue to be affected.
The Jaipur Vyapar Mahasangh also wrote to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and PM Modi, seeking their intervention to prevent the obstruction of key economic corridors and ensure the security of commercial and technology hubs. In another representation to the CJI on Monday, the Federation of All India Distributors Associations (FAIDA) described the disruption of commercial zones through street protests, highway blockades and market shutdowns during the festive season as an “abuse of democratic freedom”.
“Weaponising street protests to choke arterial highways, block public transit and force market shutdowns during our peak festive season is an outright abuse of democratic freedom,” FAIDA national president C H Krishna said. In a representation to the CJI, the Mahila Vyapar Mahasangh Sansthan said prolonged disruptions during the festive season will adversely affect women entrepreneurs, small businesses, workers and consumers.
In a letter to the prime minister, the Calicut Chamber of Commerce and Industry sought guidelines for authorities to protect markets, commercial establishments and major transport routes during public agitations. The Bangalore Wholesale Cloth Merchants Association said in separate representations to the PM and the CJI that small, family-owned shops can face severe financial distress when markets are forced to shut during the festive season, affecting their ability to meet expenses and sustain livelihoods.
