'Save Our Livelihoods': 2 Million Traders At Risk As CTI Urges Sonia Gandhi To Defer INDIA's Nov 1 Rally, Warns Of ₹10,000 Crore Hit

New Delhi: The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has urged Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to intervene and defer the INDIA bloc's November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan until after Diwali, warning that the massive gathering could disrupt business across Delhi's major markets during the peak festive shopping season.

In a letter to Sonia Gandhi on Thursday, the traders' body said an estimated 10 lakh people and 15,000–20,000 vehicles expected for the rally could bring central Delhi's traffic to a standstill. The organisation said the disruption could affect 20 major wholesale and retail markets located within a 5-km radius of Ramlila Maidan.

The demand comes just days before Dhanteras on November 6 and Diwali on November 8, when markets typically see a sharp rise in the movement of goods and shoppers. CTI said November 1 is particularly important for traders as businesses prepare to meet festive demand.

Why Are Delhi Traders Worried About The November 1 Rally?

CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal mentioned that traders in the national capital are worried about traffic limits and heavy traffic possibly stopping goods from reaching markets and customers during an important time. 

Goyal clarified that the traders are not against the political event, but they are worried about how it might affect people's jobs and business operations. 

"We are not opposing the rally; we are making a heartfelt plea to protect our livelihoods during the peak Diwali season," stated CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal.

He pointed out that the 20 markets surrounding Ramlila Maidan collectively record a daily business turnover of ₹10,000–12,000 crore.

"These 20 markets are not merely marketplaces; they are the heartbeat of Delhi. They generate a daily turnover of 10,000 to 12,000 crore rupees, and Dhanteras falls on November 6th. Traders are anxious: if a lockdown-like gridlock hits central Delhi on October 31st and November 1st, how will the goods for Dhanteras be transported in and out?" Goyal added.

The CTI questioned the venue's ability to handle the anticipated crowd size.  The organization says Ramlila Maidan can hold about 50,000 people, but the rally is expected to have almost 10 lakh people attending. It also questioned where 15,000–20,000 vehicles would be parked, claiming that the ground does not have enough space to accommodate even 200 large buses.

In another statement given to ANI, Goyal mentioned that Delhi's trade sector had already lost ₹3,000 crore in the past 25 days.  He projected that the November 1 rally could result in additional losses of 10,000 crore. 

20 Markets, 5,000 Trucks: How A Traffic Block Could Hit Delhi's Trade

The setbacks go beyond the area right around Ramlila Maidan.  The CTI found several major wholesale and retail markets within a 5-kilometer area that might experience problems.

These include Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Connaught Place, Palika Bazar, Janpath, Bhagirath Palace, Khari Baoli, Kashmiri Gate, Naya Bazar, Lajpat Rai Market, Chawri Bazar, Kinari Bazar, Dariba Kalan, Ballimaran, Fatehpuri, Tilak Bazar, Karol Bagh, Jama Masjid, Nabi Karim, Gaffar Market, Ajmeri Gate-Paharganj and Daryaganj.

Many of these markets, some of which are up to 300 years old, supply goods to different parts of India and abroad. Their daily operations depend on around 5,000 trucks and tempos arriving from 56 industrial areas, including Narela, Bawana, Okhla, Mayapuri, Mundka, Udyog Nagar and Mangolpuri.

The trade body warned that getting prepared for the rally might slow down transportation even before November 1.  It mentioned that buses and other vehicles might begin arriving at Delhi's borders, such as Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur, and Badarpur, starting from the afternoon of October 31.  Barricades might later be placed along Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and JLN Marg. 

CTI says transporters have already begun refusing to send vehicles starting from October 31, which is making traders worried about possible delays in getting festive supplies. 

Goyal also mentioned a previous event on October 10, when a group of about 5,000 to 7,000 people gathering at Jantar Mantar caused major traffic problems in central Delhi and made it difficult to move for eight hours. 

The CTI had already sent a letter to Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, expressing the same worries.  Other trade groups, like the Federation of Sadar Bazar Trades Association and the Kirana Committee Delhi, have also asked INDI bloc leaders for help. 

In their messages to Akhilesh Yadav and Mamata Banerjee, the groups mentioned that trade valued at about ₹25,000 crore happens in Delhi between Dhanteras and Diwali.  They mentioned that the protests, rallies, and traffic restrictions in September and October caused losses of about ₹3,000 crore. 

The association warned that having another big event might cause more losses of around ₹10,000 crore, and they asked politicians to think about how this could affect businesses during the holiday season.

What Are Traders Demanding From INDIA Bloc Leaders?

The CTI has suggested two options to prevent interruptions to Delhi's business operations.  It has asked the INDI bloc to either delay the November 1 rally until after the holiday season, ideally after November 10, or move the event to Burari Maidan if the date can't be changed. The traders say that political plans can be changed or moved, but businesses can't risk losing sales during one of the busiest times of the year for trading. 

Meanwhile, the INDI bloc is organizing the 'Chalo Dilli Ramlila March' to show opposition to claims of vote tampering and to call for action regarding allegations of unfair practices in the elections. 

As part of the program, leaders from the INDI bloc plan to conduct a 'public impeachment' session against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Friday, October 30, at the home of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.  The action is connected to claims about issues in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

After the meeting, the opposition group will organize a 'Dilli Chalo March' to protest what they call 'vote chori', and this will end with a rally on November 1st at Ramlila Maidan. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has described the proposed march as a movement that goes beyond individual political parties.

"Chalo Dilli Ramlila March, it is a march to save democracy, to stop vote theft, to save the Constitution. This is not a march of any one political party; it is a march of the soul of India. All the people who are fed up with Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and Gyanesh Kumar, all the people who want to save democracy, who want to protect the Constitution, you all come," Rahul Gandhi stated.

With the rally less than 48 hours away, Delhi's traders are waiting for a response from the Congress leadership on their demand to reschedule the gathering.