Traders to protest growing mall culture

Allahabad, June 18 (UNI) About 500 traders have decided to launch a nationwide agitation to protest the growing mall and internet trading culture in the country, which is ''posing threat to livlihood of the retailers.'' The traders from 55 districts of Uttar Pradesh (UP) participated at a meeting of UP Vyapar Pratinidhi Mandal (UPVPM) held here yesterday.

Addressing the meeting, UPVPM president Banwari Lal Kanchal noted that owing to internet trading and shopping malls, nearly four crore shops across India are going to shut down, which would result in loss of 35 crore jobs.

Mr Kanchal advocated framing of a National Trading Policy to prevent corporate houses from entering the retail sector.

He added that in order to protest internet trading and shopping malls, the Sabha had decided to stage a 50-hour 'satyagrah' at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on July 17, 18 and 19.

''We would also hold demonstrations in 62 districts of UP on August 8, followed by a 'dharna' at the Parliament on August 16.'' The Rashtriya Vyapar Mandal activists will also gherao shopping malls in 100 metropolitan cities on August 22 and take out a 'rath yatra' in December to aprise people of the problems faced by the traders, he said.

UNI