Rourkela: The Confederation of All India Traders has given the first war call against the FDI in retail sector.
The confederation has decided to go for an all India strike of all traders on September 28, which will be followed by a pan-India yatra.
"All traders, numbering more than seven crores, will down their shutters against the government policy of foreign direct investment in the retail sector on September 28. With the entry of the FDI in retail, our survival is at stake. You simply cannot make a policy without taking care of our demands and suggestions. And we are totally opposed to the FDI," said the confederation's national senior vice-president Brij Mohan Agarwal.
"The confederation will also launch a 90-day digital rath yatra beginning on Saturday from Delhi, and this will terminate with a mammoth rally on December 16," said Agarwal, national senior vice-president told the media on Wednesday at Brahmani Club.
"Besides, the confederation is also against the merger of Walmart-Fliplkart. This will destroy the total trading community. This big merger will gradually strangulate us and then kill us. They will offer at alluringly cheap price and then when they have a control of the market, they will start their own game of killing these traders. This has happened in the US. The government has to listen to us. The BJP had opposed the entry of Walmart when not in power and now they favour the FDI in retai," said Agarwal.
"The confederation believes that the policy was in opposition to the Make in India. The retail market will be flooded with goods sourced from all over the globe, thereby the domestic industry will be badly hit. Not only the traders, but also the domestic manufacturing sector will be adversely affected," said Agarwal.
"The bandh and yatra are signs of strong protest. We request the government to reject the deal. There is spontaneous response to it from all states. We have the allegiance of over 40,000 associations from all over the country. Besides, several chamber and commerce and industries, including the Rourkela chapter, have decided to take part in the bandh," he said.
Rourkela Chamber of Commerce and Industries president Subha Pattnaik said: "The chamber is with the confederation, and they are going to launch a door-to-door campaign."
