Ludhiana: Participation of farmers and villagers in the kisan andolan has affected the wholesale and retail traders in the Old City and other markets here, where rural customers from all over Punjab come for shopping. However, businessmen are not minding the fall in sales and are supporting the farmers’ agitation.
Businessmen said neither retail nor bulk customers from rural areas are turning up in the markets as members from almost all households are going to join the farmers’ agitation. This has also led to deferment of marriages in rural Punjab. They are estimating a drop of more than 30% in the footfall of customers, but are hoping for the demands of the agitators to be met soon.
Kamal Gupta, president of Saban Bazaar Association, said, “Old City markets, like Saban Bazaar, Gur Mandi, Chaura Bazaar, Sarafan Bazaar and Purana Bazaar, are largely dependent on rural customers, especially from nearby villages and towns. For more than a month now, we are seeing a fall in the number of customers from rural areas. As compared with the previous year, there has been more than 30% fall in our business. For farmers’ agitation, they are even cancelling weddings and other functions in their families and sending their kin to Delhi to make the protest a big success.”
“Though there is no denying that traders and shopkeepers of the city are affected, there is not a single person who is not supporting this agitation that is for a right cause. We will not like to call this drop in business a loss, rather it is our small contribution for our farmers. We hope that their demands are accepted soon,” he added.
Ashok Jindal, chairman of Wholesale Rice and Dal Dealers’ Association, said, “This time of the year is the wedding season which continues till January second week. During winter months, a large number of customers from villages throng the markets for bulk purchases. But this year, there has been a huge drop in the number of customers because people from rural areas are participating in the agitation and have deferred marriages. Our businesses have certainly been affected, but we have no complaints because farmers are fighting for their rights and we support them.”
The jewellery business has also been hit due to lull in the marriage season. Jeweller Suraj Partap Rudra said, “We are dependent on rural customers, but for the past one month there has been a drop in sales. Our inward supplies like boxes, specialised packaging of ornaments, too, have been affected. But we have no problem, and are hoping the agitation will get over soon.”
Inderpal Singh, wholesaler and retailer of cosmetics, said, “Along with a huge drop in the rural customers who used to come in the wedding season, the routine customers too are not coming. This time, the shopkeepers of rural areas are sending small orders. However, we stand in solidarity with our farmer brothers and losses will be compensated once their agitation yields success.”