The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has asked the Delhi Police Commissioner to stop rallies, sit-ins and protest marches at major locations in the national capital until November 11, the day of Bhaiya Dooj. The request was made in a letter dated November 3.
The traders’ organisation has specifically sought restrictions at Connaught Place, Jantar Mantar, Ramlila Maidan, India Gate, Rajghat, Delhi Gate, Central Delhi and Old Delhi, citing business losses caused by demonstrations and traffic disruptions during the festive shopping period.
CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal said traders had already sustained substantial losses from rallies and sit-ins over the past month and could not absorb further disruption during the peak festive season.
The CTI estimates that businesses across Delhi lost approximately Rs 14,000 crore between October 1 and November 1. It said repeated demonstrations and protest marches at Jantar Mantar, Connaught Place, Patel Chowk and Janpath throughout October caused prolonged congestion in Central Delhi.
Retailers, hotels, restaurants and transport operators in Connaught Place, Janpath, Palika Bazaar, Khan Market, Karol Bagh, Paharganj and Kamala Market are estimated to have suffered losses of around Rs 3,000 crore between October 1 and October 30.
According to the CTI’s assessment, the mega rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1 alone led to losses of approximately Rs 11,000 crore across several sectors. Retail and wholesale traders accounted for an estimated Rs 8,800 crore of that amount.
The organisation said nearly three lakh shops operate within a five-kilometre radius of Ramlila Maidan. The area includes Kashmere Gate, Mori Gate, Chandni Chowk, Chawri Bazaar, Khari Baoli, Naya Bazaar, Sadar Bazaar, Ajmeri Gate, Daryaganj, Paharganj, Kamala Market, Jama Masjid, Bhagirath Palace, Lajpat Rai Market, Kinari Bazaar, Dariba Kalan, Ballimaran, Fatehpuri, Tilak Bazaar, Connaught Place, Palika Bazaar, Gaffar Market and Karol Bagh.
The CTI claimed that approximately 2.5 lakh shops remained shut during the rally, bringing nearly 80 per cent of commercial activity in the area to a standstill. The event took place shortly before Dhanteras on November 6 and Diwali on November 8, among the busiest shopping days of the year.
The traders’ body also said the disruption affected customers who travel to Delhi’s markets from around 100 neighbouring cities and towns. It estimated that nearly 3-4 lakh visitors from places such as Sonipat, Panipat, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida, Meerut, Bahadurgarh and Jhajjar were impacted, with many cancelling their shopping plans.
The transport and logistics sector is estimated to have lost Rs 1,500 crore. The CTI said the movement of vehicles and goods within a 10-kilometre radius of Ramlila Maidan was severely affected, while loading and unloading operations came to a halt.
It said around 5,000 trucks and tempos carrying goods from 56 industrial areas, including Narela, Bawana, Okhla, Mayapuri, Mundka and Udyog Nagar, reach Delhi’s markets every day. An additional 3,000 trucks transport goods from Delhi to different parts of the country, including the National Capital Region.
The organisation said the rally disrupted the supply chain, while buses, cars and tempos were stranded on JLN Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Netaji Subhash Marg. Thousands of transport vehicles were caught in congestion, leaving drivers and helpers without adequate food and drinking water, it added.
The hotel, restaurant, hospitality and tourism sectors are estimated to have suffered losses of around Rs 500 crore. The CTI claimed that bookings were cancelled at more than 2,000 hotels, restaurants, guest houses and eateries in Connaught Place, Karol Bagh, Paharganj, Chandni Chowk and Daryaganj.
Domestic and foreign tourists also faced difficulties in reaching attractions such as the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk.
The informal sector and daily-wage workforce reportedly suffered losses of about Rs 200 crore. The CTI said nearly 20 lakh people, including employees, loaders, auto-rickshaw drivers, street vendors, porters and coolies working in the affected markets, lost their daily earnings. It said the effect was particularly serious for workers from economically weaker sections.
Goyal said the period leading up to Dhanteras on November 6, Diwali on November 8 and Bhaiya Dooj on November 11 was the year’s biggest business opportunity for around 20 lakh traders and 75 lakh employees associated with Delhi’s commercial establishments.
“If rallies and protests continue every day, the entire Diwali business will be ruined. Traders are no longer in a position to bear further losses,” Goyal said.
CTI’s demands
- No rallies, protests or demonstrations should be allowed at Connaught Place, Jantar Mantar, Ramlila Maidan or India Gate until November 11.
- Alternative venues, including Burari, Alipur, Jasola and Yamuna Khadar, should be designated for rallies and demonstrations.
- Smooth traffic movement and adequate parking arrangements should be maintained in Central Delhi throughout the festive season.
Goyal warned that if businesses continued to suffer during the crucial festive period, traders would be forced to hand over their shop keys to the organisers of rallies and protests.
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