New Delhi, Nov 13 (IANS) The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) held its national trade meeting in the national capital on Friday, bringing together leaders from across the country to discuss a range of pressing issues facing the trader community.
The gathering focused on key topics such as traders’ rights, livelihood, cyber security, simplification of the GST regime, food safety, and increasing women’s participation in business.
One of the major concerns raised at the meeting was the impact of ongoing protests and demonstrations in Delhi on local businesses.
Trade leaders emphasized that while the right to protest is fundamental, such activities should not adversely affect the livelihoods of ordinary citizens and traders.
They called for a balanced approach that respects both the constitutional rights of protestors and the business interests of the trading community.
Speaking to IANS, CAIT National President B.C. Bhartia underlined the organization’s commitment to protecting the interests of the nation, traders, and consumers.
“First and foremost, our biggest objective is the nation’s interest, traders’ interest, and consumers’ interest. We must raise issues against whoever is disrupting these interests. When Mahatma Gandhi went on strikes, he never protested against his own government; he protested against a foreign government. So, they shouldn’t spoil the issue by associating this hunger strike with Mahatma Gandhi. Or, whenever a trader protests, they close their own shop; they don’t ruin the market,” he said.
Bhartia stressed that when traders protest, they do so in a manner that avoids causing harm to the marketplace, often closing their own shops as a mark of dissent rather than disrupting the broader business environment.
CAIT National Women President Sangeeta Patil highlighted the difficulties faced by traders in areas affected by ongoing protests, stating that business operations in these locations have been seriously disrupted.
“Traders are facing a lot of problems at various locations where they have their shops. Our effort is to ensure that protests and demonstrations are conducted in accordance with the rights guaranteed by the Constitution,” Patil mentioned.
CAIT National Vice President Amar Parwani shared that the meeting saw participation from trade leaders representing 26 states.
–IANS
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