New Delhi, Oct 25 — The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Sunday urged the government to designate dedicated venues for protests and demonstrations on the outskirts of Delhi, ensuring a balance between democratic rights and the uninterrupted functioning of business activities.
Traders across Delhi are expressing deep resentment and anguish over the adverse impact of continuous protests, demonstrations and rallies in Central Delhi on commercial activities.
To mobilise public support for this demand, several trade associations in Delhi have jointly launched an online petition from Sunday.
CAIT said it has also convened an online meeting of Delhi’s trade leaders on October 26, in which representatives of trade associations from all parts of the city will participate to discuss the issue, explore possible solutions and formulate a collective strategy for taking the matter forward.
“Frequent protests disrupt customer movement, transportation, goods delivery and routine business activities. Small traders, street vendors, daily-wage earners and service providers are among the worst affected, as their families depend on their daily earnings for survival,” according to a CAIT statement.
Traders emphasised that Delhi is one of the country’s largest trading and distribution centres. Its economy is primarily driven by trade, wholesale and retail markets, transportation, logistics and services.
Delhi is neither predominantly an agricultural state nor an industrial production-based state. Consequently, disruptions in its major commercial areas affect not only local businesses but may also impact the movement of goods and related economic activities across the country.
The trade leaders made it clear that traders are not opposed to peaceful protests; however, it is unacceptable for demonstrations to come at the cost of other people’s livelihoods. The right to peaceful protest is an important democratic right, but the right to conduct business, earn a livelihood and sustain one’s family is equally important and deserves protection.
The trade leaders further stated that the objective of this initiative is to safeguard Delhi’s business environment and protect the livelihoods of millions of people dependent on the city’s economic ecosystem.