Support from Opposition parties notwithstanding, the Congress’s call for a Bharat bandh against the tumbling rupee and an unprecedented hike in fuel prices could not, visibly, affect the status quo at markets across the Capital here on Monday.
While a majority of traders’ associations claimed it was business as usual at major commercial hubs from north Delhi’s Chandni Chowk to south Delhi’s Khan Market, some alleged it led to a relatively duller day because of a dent in the footfall of regular customers “fearing hooliganism”.
The commercial hub in Rajouri Garden, a kilometre away from Congress Delhi chief Ajay Maken’s residence, was bustling with activity.
A similar atmosphere was observed in other west Delhi markets such as Tilak Nagar, Punjabi Bagh and Patel Nagar.
Traders’ bodies based in major markets such as Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar and Connaught Place in addition to the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI), a pan-India traders’ organisation, not only claimed that business was unaffected but also termed the bandh “unsuccessful”.
Shutdown ‘irrelevant’
“The bandh was a failure; no trader was willing to let the days’ earnings be affected by politics,” claimed Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal president Sanjay Bhargava. “Traders also want fuel prices to be lowered but bandhs , in this day and age, are not the answer,” he added.
CTI president Brijesh Goyal claimed major markets remained open. “Only markets such as Gandhi Nagar and Karol Bagh were shut as per weekly schedules. And why is there a need to shut shops and stall trade in the first place when excise duty and VAT are the real culprits?”
New Delhi Traders’ Association (NDTA) president Atul Bhargava blamed both the call for a bandh per se in addition to a request to be a part of it at the eleventh hour.
“Times have changed; business is not what it used to be and shops are open even on festivals such as Holi and Diwali, so why must they shut in a way that adds to an average trader’s problems,” he asked.
“Besides, we were asked to be a part of the bandh on Saturday evening. There are many multinational retail stores in Connaught Place that could not have gotten the go-ahead to participate in the bandh from their respective corporate offices on time,” he said further.
Federation of Sadar Bazar Traders Association president Rakesh Yadav said business was already dull and traders were in no mood to let even a day’s earnings pass them by.
“We are businessmen first; we nurse political ambitions later. When it is a matter of our livelihood, how can we let politics dictate our actions? Besides we were asked to be a part of the bandh on Saturday evening and there was not enough time to build consensus among traders,” he said.
Khan Market Traders Association president Sanjiv Mehra said, “Actually, there was no call for a particular group to join the bandh. That is why it seems to have failed. Yes, business was dull, but, there was the usual enthusiasm among traders. The shoppers did not turn up in the usual numbers fearing hooliganism.”
Not a solution
Harjas Singh, an eminent distributor based in Patel Nagar, said he had over the years seen that no bandh had ever recorded a 100% success rate, including those against the sealing drive. “People are definitely angry at the increased prices but asking them to shut their business is not a solution,” he said.
Dinesh Kathpal, a shop owner, blamed the rise in fuel prices on the increase in cost of input prices. However, he was unable to participate in the protest due to “lack of support”.
In Tilak Nagar, many traders were not aware of the ‘bandh’ but added that they would not have supported it even if they knew about it. Dilip Kumar, a trader, said, “Demonetisation and teething problems of GST have already reduced our earnings. We cannot afford to shut our shops even for a day.”
Even the furniture markets of Jail Road had shop shutters open. “We will cooperate if our market association will ask us to. No such notification had been issued by them,” said Rajesh Mehra. A similar scene was visible on the streets of Old Delhi.
Dimple Budhiraja a shop-owner of Chandni Chowk said, “Even though I am displeased with the policies of current government, the concept of bandh is vague to me. Withholding the earnings and wages, will only aggravate the situation.”
