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The country’s largest trader organization Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has taken a sharp stance on the business stagnation and loss of crores of rupees due to political protests and rallies held in the country’s capital New Delhi in recent days. National General Secretary and office bearers of CAIT have written a letter to senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, raising direct and tough questions. The organization has asked whether the right to express political protest in a democracy has become bigger than the fundamental right of common citizens and businessmen to do business and earn their livelihood? The traders body has clarified that due to political rallies and long-term blocking of roads, the access of customers in Delhi markets is lost, due to which traders have to suffer huge financial losses during festivals and business seasons. Along with this, CAT has also made a big announcement of celebrating ‘Dhikkar Diwas’ in the entire country by calling a national meeting after Diwali.
Issuing a statement, CAIT National President BC Bhartia and General Secretary Praveen Khandelwal said that due to the huge political rallies and demonstrations held repeatedly in Delhi, the activities of major commercial centers like Connaught Place, Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh, and Sadar Bazaar come to a complete halt. CAIT particularly objected to the massive rally and other demonstrations organized by the opposition India Alliance at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on November 1. The organization raised sharp questions over Rahul Gandhi’s stance in which on one hand he appeals to the public to “buy goods from local markets”, while on the other hand he organizes or supports such huge protests and rallies which block roads and prevent customers from reaching those local markets. CAIT has called this a big political contradiction.
Referring to Article 19 of the Constitution, the traders’ organization has asked the following 5 main questions to Rahul Gandhi:
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Protest vs Livelihood: Is the right to protest under the Constitution outweigh the fundamental right of traders to do business and earn livelihood (Article 19(1)(g))?
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Economic mortgage and compensation for losses: Is it politically and morally appropriate to hold the commercial and economic activities of the country’s capital hostage for the sake of a show of political power? Who will compensate the loss worth crores incurred by the traders due to the rallies?
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Dual attitude: On one hand appealing for purchases from local markets and on the other hand supporting such demonstrations due to which customers cannot reach the markets, is this not an attack on the livelihood of traders?
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Accountability and Responsibility: Do the Congress Party and its political allies accept direct moral and economic responsibility for the enormous economic misery caused by those protests?
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Personal Criteria: If Rahul Gandhi himself had an impact on his business, his family’s livelihood or daily earnings due to similar prolonged political protests or bandh, would he have accepted it?
Referring to the legal and constitutional aspects, CAIT in its letter said that Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution gives citizens the right to peaceful expression and protest, but Article 19(1)(g) also provides the right to every citizen to freely carry on his business and livelihood. No one right should be used to take away the fundamental rights of another citizen. CAIT has said that traders are not against any political party, but they cannot be made ‘punching bags’. The organization has warned that they will wait for Rahul Gandhi’s official reply. Immediately after Diwali, an emergency meeting of prominent business leaders from across the country will be called in Delhi, in which the date of celebrating ‘Dhikkar Diwas’ across the country against the business losses caused by the protests will be announced.
After this tough stance of the trade unions, the debate has intensified in the political circles as to how to strike a balance between the right to protest and the security of economic activities in a democracy. Lakhs of small and big shopkeepers of the capital Delhi believe that options for places like Jantar Mantar or Ramlila Maidan should be decided for rallies and blocking of main roads and commercial areas should be avoided. Now it remains to be seen what answer Rahul Gandhi and Congress party give to these sharp questions of CAIT.