Shop owners affected by the sealing drive resort to new methods of protest to press for their demands
After trying every possible way to get their shops de-sealed, traders of Amar Colony's Old Double Storey market decided to be hawkers for a day while some of them even became cobblers at South Delhi's Lajpat Nagar bus stop. The traders have been long pressing for a bill to be presented in Parliament to stop the ongoing sealing drive.
The Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee had ordered the sealing of commercial spaces in the national Capital over encroachment, illegal construction and non-payment of conversion charges.
However, after the orders, most of the traders have been left with no source of income and to register their protest. The traders of the Old Double Storey area opted to be hawkers on Saturday by selling coconut water, fast food and clothes after occupying a part of Ring Road, passing through Lajpat Nagar towards Moolchand.
Some traders even polished shoes on the road while others started to beg, blaming the Central government for their conditions.
Traders said they have been ripped of their livelihood and the government has made them dependent on the charity of others to survive and feed their families. "My mother-in-law needs a surgery in her leg, but after our shop was sealed, we are now barely managing to feed our families. I just hope our shop is de-sealed soon," said Poonam, who along with her husband used to run a garments shop for over 20 years in the area.
Talking to DNA, Abhishek Dutt, councilor of Lajpat Nagar area, said,"First it was the Central government who betrayed the traders, then on Friday, even Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal betrayed us. They must understand that it is a trader who has been the strongest pillar for Delhi and India's strong economic condition. A bill must be introduced in Parliament to save our livelihood."
‘NOWHERE TO GO’
After being betrayed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, we have decided to fight this battle alone and if this needs me to polish shoes on bus stops, I will do that also. I have run this shop for 25 and nobody raised any objections, but now suddenly we are being treated like terrorists by the government.
Rakesh (55)
My husband was running the garments shop for over 45 years, and one day suddenly they come and seal our shops, leaving us unemployed. We have to get one of our daughter married but after sealing, I cannot even imagine how will we do that. Every trader in the market area is basically unemployed.
Sonia Grover (50)
About eight years ago, I left my job to start a garments business in the area, every thing was running smooth but then the Supreme Court ordered sealing of shops. Now after eight years, I have been forced to look for another job. I blame politicians only.
Vikas Khanna (43)
The Central government’s attitude clearly shows that no one in the country is independent, we are all now slaves to the government. They have taken away our only source to earn. Do they want us to commit crimes to feed our families?
Sanjay Arora (52)
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