Farmers’ fresh Delhi call have Ambala traders on edge

Facing losses due to the closure of the Haryana-Punjab border at Shambhu since February, wholesalers and traders in Ambala’s popular cloth market have their eyes on farmers' call for Delhi march on December 6.

The market, with an estimated annual turnover of over Rs 2,000 crore, has suffered a drop in sales after Shambhu was closed, as a large number of customers used to come from Punjab.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have announced that farmers would march to Delhi on December 6 in support of their demands. The traders said any escalation in tension on the border would lead to more restrictions and further disturb their business.

Viplove Singla, president of the Jan Jagriti Sangathan, said, “The Sangathan held protests and made requests to get the Shambhu border reopened, but to no avail. We have adopted a wait-and-watch policy and have already suffered a heavy loss. There have been no positive signs from anywhere. With a fresh Delhi march call, there is a sense of panic in the market. We request the government to ensure peace as the traders are in no position to bear further losses.”

“A large number of customers used to come from Punjab, but due to the closure of the border since February, the business has been badly affected, and customers have shifted to other markets in Punjab. Not only in Ambala, but also traders on the Delhi border will face the brunt if anything goes wrong. The government and farmers must resolve the matter amicably. We have decided to assess the situation and hold a meeting after December 6,” he said.

Vishal Batra, president of the Wholesale Cloth Market Association, said, “The wholesalers and retailers have already been going through a bad phase due to the closure of the interstate border. The market sentiments are low. The wedding season is here and the next three months are very important for the market as it witnesses most of the buying during this period.”

“We have already raised the matter at all levels, from the state government to the Centre, and even approached the court, but the situation is still the same. We are getting frantic calls from traders and wholesalers,” he said.