Protests leading to losses in much-awaited festive season: Traders

Traders and business class have expressed resentment against dharnas, saying these have become a daily routine.

During interactions with local leaders from the business class and shopkeeper unions regarding the farmers’ ongoing protest at Sugar Mill Chowk in Phagwara, it was observed that these communities were feeling harassed due to the blockade.

The leaders said they wait a whole year for the festival season so that they can earn and make profits, on which they rely on for the entire year, but due to the ongoing protest at Sugar Mill Chowk, customers were not coming to the market, leading to huge financial losses.

They highlighted that if farmers had any issue with the state and central governments’ policies, they should have organised dharnas in front of the CM’s or Governor’s residence in Chandigarh. “Why are they causing huge financial losses to local businesses,” they asked.

Stating that businessmen and shopkeepers of Phagwara were under huge mental stress due to the ongoing dharna at Sugar Mill Chowk, they highlighted that during the ongoing season of weddings and festivals, a large number of NRIs visit Punjab, contributing a huge amount to their sales.

But currently their has been a huge slump in purchasing by NRIs due to the inconvenience caused by protests. The leaders of local shopkeepers expressed resentment against the ongoing protest and demanded that steps should be taken by the government to relocate protesters from Sugar Mill Chowk so that the business in local markets was not impacted during the ongoing festive season.