Traders in Mumbai strike to oppose FDI in retail
December 1st, 2011 - 12:16 pm ICT by IANSMumbai, Dec 1 (IANS) Over one lakh wholesalers, retailers and small traders across Mumbai Thursday joined the all-India strike of the trading community - called by various associations and unions - to oppose foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail.
A majority of the retailers, wholesalers and other shops and establishments - barring restaurants and pharmacies - remained shut in Mumbai and its suburbs, said Viren Shah, president, Federation of Retail Traders’ Welfare Association.
“The response to the shutdown has been spontaneous and enthusiastic as it is a matter of the very survival of our traditional businesses on which nearly 20 percent of the Indian people directly or indirectly depend for their livelihood,” Shah told IANS.
He said jewellers, cloth merchants and oil depots, besides other professionals participated in the strike Thursday, and most commercial hubs in the city and suburbs wore a deserted look since morning.
Elsewhere in Maharashtra, retailers did not open their shops and commercial establishments in places like Thane, Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik, Nagpur and other major cities and towns.
The shutdown call has been supported by all opposition parties at the state and central levels.
After Thursday’s daylong token agitation, the trading community plans to intensify the agitation in others forms in the coming few weeks.
- FDI strike hits trade and business across Bengal - Dec 01, 2011
- FDI in retail: Complete shutdown in Himachal - Dec 01, 2011
- Strike against FDI in retail affects life in Tripura - Dec 01, 2011
- Shops in Tamil Nadu closed to protest FDI in retail - Dec 01, 2011
- Shutdown near-total in Mumbai, most of Maharashtra (Second lead) - May 31, 2012
- Bangalore traders shut shop over FDI in retail - Dec 01, 2011
- Odisha traders down shutters against FDI in retail - Dec 01, 2011
- Shops shut in India but shoppers open to foreign retailers (Roundup) - Dec 01, 2011
- SP workers clash with police during FDI protests - Dec 01, 2011
- Mixed response to FDI strike in Punjab, Haryana - Dec 01, 2011
- Chhattisgarh shuts down against FDI in retail - Dec 01, 2011
- Shopkeepers protest but shoppers don't mind foreign retailers (Afternoon Lead) - Dec 01, 2011
- Kashmir Valley gold sellers on strike against excise duty - Apr 03, 2012
- Shutdown in Hazare's village, protests in Pune, Mumbai - Aug 16, 2011
- Kerala traders shut down to protest FDI - Feb 22, 2012
Tags: agitation, cities and towns, cloth merchants, commercial establishments, commercial hubs, fdi, foreign direct investment, india strike, livelihood, major cities, oil depots, opposition parties, pharmacies, pune, retail traders, small traders, traditional businesses, viren, welfare association, wholesalers