Small and medium traders across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, kept their shops shut on Thursday on Thursday in response to the bandh called to protest government's decision to allow FDI in retail.
"We have received good response for the bandh in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai as traders of the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) have joined call to support the one-day bandh. Major markets of grain, fruits and vegetables, onion and potato and 'kirana' have observed bandh on Thursday," Federation of Associations of Maharashtra (FAM) President Mohan Gurnani said.
FAM is the apex body for over 750 trade, transport and small scale associations. "The UPA government will have to withdraw its decision. We don't want FDI in retail. A government that does not think about its people should be pulled down," Gurnani stated. After the bandh, we will go on a hunger strike at Shivaji Chowk on December 3, he warned. "Traders from all over the country, including Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Kerala and other states, are strongly opposing FDI in retail. This is a question of our existence and hence there are no divisions," he added.
The 'Mathadis' (workers who carry loads on their head) here have also decided to support the bandh resulting in shutdown of vegetable markets. "We have asked farmers not to send supplies to the market," Mathadi Kamgar Vijay Patil said.
Meanwhile in Gujarat there was a partial response to the bandh. While semi-wholesale and wholesale dealers along with small traders and local grocery shop owners in walled city area of Ahmedabad supported the call by shutting their shops on Thursday, most of the shops on the western part (new city area) remained opened. "As many as 7,000 to 8,000 semi-wholesale and wholesale dealers in old city area observed bandh on Thursday. Traders and wholesalers in areas such as Kalupur, Madhupura, Shahpur, Raipur, Gandhi Road and Relief Road closed their shops for the day," said Jayendra Tanna, president, Federation of Gujarat Traders' Association.
However, the impact of the bandh in Rajkot was much deeper than other major cities of Gujarat.
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Majority of shops, including electronic and furniture showrooms, remained totally closed during the day. Traders and shop owners in Danapith, Gheekantha Road, Dharmendra Road, Parabazar, Yagnik Road, Sonibazar and Palace Road areas kept their shops closed on Thursday. The Rajkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) also supported the bandh.
While Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) abstained from the bandh, the diamond industry in Surat gave marginal response to the bandh. However, the textile traders in Surat came in huge numbers to support the call for a day-long bandh.