New Delhi, 02 November (H.S.): The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Monday wrote to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, urging him to designate and officially notify separate venues on the outskirts of the national capital for protests, demonstrations and political gatherings.

The traders' body said Delhi records an average daily business turnover of approximately Rs. 2,200 crore, adding that normal commercial activities in the city had been disrupted on nearly 14 days over the past month.

Delhi is one of the country's major commercial and distribution hubs, attracting millions of traders from different states every day for purchases and business-related activities. However, the prolonged atmosphere of unrest, sit-ins, protests and traffic disruptions over the past month has prevented a large number of traders from reaching the capital.

According to CAIT, these disruptions have directly affected wholesale markets, retail businesses, small shopkeepers, street vendors, transportation services, hotels and several other commercial activities.

The organisation said traders had personally borne substantial financial losses arising from the disruptions, but had taken the entire situation very seriously. It acknowledged that every individual and organisation has the democratic right to stage peaceful protests. However, it maintained that exercising this right should not come at the cost of disrupting the businesses, livelihoods and fundamental rights of millions of traders.

CAIT stressed that any obstruction to the constitutionally guaranteed rights to conduct business and earn a livelihood was a matter of serious concern.

CAIT National President B.C. Bhartia said traders in Delhi were deeply concerned and dissatisfied with the developments. He announced that a significant meeting of the city's trade associations and prominent business leaders would be convened after Diwali to discuss the matter in detail and decide on a future course of action.

Bhartia expressed hope that traders would be able to conduct their businesses during the remaining festive season without disruption, fear or traffic-related obstacles, allowing normal commercial activities to continue freely across the city's markets.

CAIT has urged Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu to expedite the notification of designated protest venues in areas outside Delhi. The organisation said this would help ensure that political sit-ins, rallies and demonstrations do not disrupt major commercial areas, marketplaces or the movement of ordinary citizens in the future.

The traders' body maintained that such designated venues would safeguard the democratic right to peaceful protest while ensuring that commercial operations and the economic and social activities of the general public in Delhi continue without interruption.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar