Delhi Traders Seek Rally Postponement Amid Diwali Business Crisis

New Delhi, November 1: Traders in Delhi's major markets have raised alarm over the Congress rally planned at Ramlila Maidan, saying it threatens to disrupt the crucial pre-Diwali business period. The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has written to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, urging him to reconsider.

The chamber said it welcomed Gandhi's call for people to shop in local markets, but argued that the rally has created conditions that make such shopping impossible. According to CTI, the situation on the ground runs contrary to the message.

CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal said the rally has caused such widespread panic that about 2.5 lakh of the roughly 3 lakh shops in markets within a five-kilometre radius of Ramlila Maidan are likely to stay closed. "If the shops are closed, people who come for the rally will have nowhere to shop," he said.

Goyal also responded to accusations that the chamber was an agent of the BJP. He said 100 large market associations had asked the Congress to postpone the event, and that the traders involved were not working for any political party. "We are business people. We do not take sides. We were only asking to save our livelihoods during the Diwali peak season," he said.

The affected area includes some of Delhi's best-known commercial hubs, such as Kashmere Gate, Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Karol Bagh's Daryaganj, Connaught Place, Palika Bazar, Jama Masjid, Ballimaran, Fatehpuri and Gaffar Market. Together, these markets account for around 3 lakh shops.

According to the CTI, business in these areas is expected to fall by 80 per cent today. Goyal also warned of severe traffic congestion in central and central-north Delhi.

Transport is the biggest concern, he said. Within a 10-kilometre radius of the venue, most transport services are likely to stop, halting deliveries and the movement of goods.

The chamber said that each day around 5,000 trucks and tempos bring goods from 56 industrial areas, including Narela, Bawana, Okhla, Mayapuri, Mundka and Udyog Nagar, into these markets, while around 3,000 trucks carry goods out to the NCR and other states. With that chain now disrupted, Dhanteras merchandise is still sitting in warehouses.

The CTI noted that Dhanteras falls on November 6 and Diwali on November 8. It said daily business worth Rs 10,000 to 12,000 crore could be lost if markets and transport remain shut, endangering the livelihoods of 20 lakh traders and 75 lakh people.

The chamber stressed that it is not opposed to the rally. It asked the Congress to hold the event without sacrificing the Diwali trade of 20 markets, and to ensure that roads remain open so that people can reach the shops they have been asked to visit.