Connaught Place traders bemoan choice of protest site

New DelhiRepeated protest attempts, heavy security deployment and frequent calls for stirs in central Delhi, including the call for a Tiranga Yatra on Friday, have left traders at Connaught Place apprehensive about their livelihoods, as closures, a decrease in customer footfall and restricted access to the area have dented their business during the festive season

New Delhi

Traders reported low footfall on Friday. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

Repeated protest attempts, heavy security deployment and frequent calls for stirs in central Delhi, including the call for a Tiranga Yatra on Friday, have left traders at Connaught Place apprehensive about their livelihoods, as closures, a decrease in customer footfall and restricted access to the area have dented their business during the festive season.

Proprietors of business establishments operating in the area said that while they were not categorically against the protests, the demonstrations must be held at a designated site elsewhere, and not in the business hub of Connaught Place.

Atul Bhargava, New Delhi Traders’ Association President, said, “Staging a protest is their (CJP’s) right, but having a livelihood is also our right. We don’t have any problems with a protest. Our market was open, but due to (Friday’s) protest, many people shut their shops and others who didn’t, reported low footfall.”

“Our key concern is that this is the peak of the festival season for businesses. Navratri has started and many of us traders have bought material in bulk. Due to protests, there is also fear and people don’t come here for two to three days (after protests end). I hope police can provide protesters with a suitable place because CP is a commerical hub and can’t be used for protests,” Bhargava said.

Bhargava said that the area has a daily footfall of around 400,000 to 500,000 but it has fallen to 25%, including office-goers, during protest days.

Hemant Sharma, 42, who runs a store of a clothing brand at Connaught Place, bemoaned protest calls on the weekend as they are their best business days. “I am tired of telling my customers on call that my shop is open on weekends. Before these protests, I never used to receive such calls. I also have to pay rent for the shop. But where will that money come from if there is so much disruption?” he said.

Many shopkeepers and food stall owners also said they had no issue with the protest, provided they don’t lead to low footfall every day.

Palika Bazar market association general secretary Vinay Kumar Thakur said that the footfall on Friday remained low, even as markets remained open amid the protest call and heavy deployment of security personnel.

“Our business is badly hit by these protests. Our sales are so poor that we can’t even generate income to meet our basis expenses, such as rents of the shops and salaries of employees. Let alone foreigners, who regularly visit the iconic Palika Bazar and Connaught Place markets; even the footfall of local shoppers remained negligible. This should stop and there should be a solution to our daily problems. Police should also stop parking so many buses here. It’s a huge traffic problem,” Thakur said.