Representatives of over 35 traders’ associations met at Posta on Friday afternoon and decided to withdraw the indefinite strike at the wholesale market.
The decision came after a police crackdown led to the arrest of three men and a woman following the assault on Bishwanath Agarwal, the 73-year-old general secretary of the Posta Bazaar Merchants’ Association, on Thursday afternoon.
“A majority of traders at the Posta market deal in essential commodities. We felt the supply of these goods should not be disrupted after the government’s prompt intervention. Hence the decision,” said Agarwal.
Agarwal was slapped, abused and had eggs hurled at him when a group of about 50 people entered the association’s office on Thursday, ahead of an association
meeting.
Association members lodged a complaint with Jorabagan police station soon after the attack.
An FIR was drawn up under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and a case was initiated against “unknown persons”.
“We scanned available CCTV footage and identified some of the alleged attackers. One of them was arrested on Thursday night, and the remaining three were rounded up on Friday,” a senior officer said.
“Traders have been assured that there will not be a repeat of such attacks,” the officer added.
Some association members, while expressing satisfaction with the prompt police intervention, said they would meet next week to review the situation.
“All members have been requested to open their shops at least by Saturday, if not from Friday, so that the flow of essential commodities including rice, wheat and pulses remains unaffected,” said Sitanath Ghosh, president of the association.
“We have decided to meet next week, either on Wednesday or Thursday, to review the situation,” Ghosh said.
The Posta market, with over 2,000 shops, supplies groceries, pulses, oils, and other essentials across most of Bengal.
Conservative estimates put the market’s annual trade volume at over ₹30,000 crore.
A senior association member said: “We are an apolitical platform of traders, and we seek the support of the government, whoever is in power, to run the trade.”
The Confederation of West Bengal Trade Association (CWBTA) said Thursday’s attack left the state’s trading community in shock.
“Over 15 lakh traders across the state stand united with Agarwal and other members of the Posta Bazaar Merchants’ Association,” said CWBTA president Sushil
Poddar.
