Jammu Bandh today, traders appeal for peaceful shutdown
Various political and social organisations of Jammu have extended support to bandh call given by traders’ body as mark of protest against setting up of 100 new Reliance Smart Points as well as against government policies which, allegedly bringing more stakeholders from outside into Jammu’s business domain.
Barring Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), political parties like National Conference (NC), Jammu Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Apni Party (AP), Communist Party of India (CPI), Dogra Front, Shiv Sena, IkkJutt Jammu, J&KHCBAR have supported the one-day long shutdown.
“Despite repeated attempts by Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the government has not paid any heed to business fraternity’s demands thus keeping in mind the phlegmatic attitude of the ruling class CCI appeals to its esteemed members to show solidarity and make Jammu Bandh on September 22, 2021 a great success by observing complete shutdown peacefully,” CCI president Arun Gupta said.
He also expressed gratitude to all the traders and market associations, social as well as political organization for extending full support to the Chamber’s Jammu Bandh call.
Gupta appealed to the members of all the associations and organizations to observe Jammu Bandh peacefully and desist from doing any act which has potential to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere of Jammu.
Earlier, diving bandh call, the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries has alleged that that businessmen in Jammu are facing the “highest degree of discrimination” due to the “directionless policies” of the Union Territory government like ending age-old biannual darbar move, new excise and the Geology and Mining Department policies, proposed move by big business houses like Reliance to open stores and restrictions on banquet halls, among other issues.
A group of traders under the banner of Warehouse Traders Federation staged a peaceful protest at Nehru Market here against the purported plan to open the Reliance smart stores.
Federation president Deepak Gupta, on the occasion, said all shopkeepers would observe a complete strike on Wednesday to convey a message to the government that “we are not happy with the policy decision taken in closed rooms without consulting stakeholders”.
Activists of the Apni Party, which had already extended its support to the strike call, also staged a demonstration at Gandhi Nagar market against the proposed opening of Reliance stores.
The protest was held by the Apni Trade Union and concluded peacefully, officials said.
The Congress party, National Conference and the PDP have already extended their support to the bandh call.
J&K Congress chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said the party fully supports the bandh call on the burning issues which is bound to wipe out small and middle-class traders.
Jammu wing of J&K High Court Bar Association president M K Bhardwaj also extended support to the strike and said, “The people of Jammu are united on all issues which affect the common man.
“We will not tolerate injustice and discrimination with Jammu region and continue peaceful agitation to safeguard the interests of the people,” Bhardwaj told reporters here.
He hoped that Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and his administration would take note of the problems being faced by lawyers, traders, businessmen, farmers, unemployed youths besides the civic and infrastructural deficiencies in Jammu region and address the same to make life easier for the people.
The National Conference also extended its support to the strike and said the party has all along stood for safeguarding the interests of Jammu and Kashmir and will continue to do so with a sense of commitment.
“The administration will see reason in its anti-business and anti-poor policies and take corrective measures, rather than coming up with move after move that hurt the overall interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” the party said in a statement.
It also urged the J&K administration to roll back the decisions, which, it said, are against the legitimate interests of trade and commerce.
