The business community across the Country is fully geared up to launch an aggressive nationwide agitation against Amazon, Flipkart and other e commerce companies those who are indulging in circumventing the law and abusing Press Note No.2 of FDI policy of the Government. ” We stand committed to to wage a strong fight against Amazon, Flipkart and other e commerce companies which are bent upon in destroying the country’s retail business comprising of more than 7 crore traders across Country and distorting e commerce market of India”- said trade leaders of 27 States of the Country in a unanimous and loud voice who gathered at New Delhi today at a National Traders Conference held by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) at New Delhi. Prominent leaders of other sector of retail trade including transporters, farmers, small industries, consumers, hawkers, self employed groups, women entrepreneurs and others who attended the Conference also expressed their strong support to CAIT and will join the nationwide agitation.
CAIT National President Mr. B.C.Bhartia & Secretary General Mr. Praveen Khandelwal said that the frontal war against Amazon & Flipkart will began from 13th November,2019 and will continue till 10th January,2020. More than 40 thousand trade associations across Country including All India Mobile Retailers Association, Al India Consumer Products Distributors Federation, Federation of All India Alluminium Utensils Manufacturers,
All India Association of Electronics Merchants Association, Toys Association of India, Drug Dealers Association of India, Federation of Electrical Goods & Appliances Association, Federation of Hardware Manufacturers & Traders Association and others will be leading the agitation under the umbrella of CAIT.
Both Mr. Bhartia & Mr. Khandelwal said that the Conference was of the considered opinion that the time has come for the intervention of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for upholding the law of the land and policy and the CAIT will seek an audience with the Prime Minister on this crucial & burning issue deeply affecting the domestic trade and small industries of the Country which are one of the major revenue generator for the Government.
Both Mr. Bhartia & Mr. Khandelwal informed that the Conference in a unanimous voice pledged that it will not let any other East India Company emerge in the Country at any cost and will protect the retail trade of India from onslaughts of e commerce companies whose malpractices including predatory pricing and deep discounting will prove to be extremely fatal for the retail trade of India. They said that these companies are not conducting any business but indulging into a valuation game on the support of their private equity or venture capitalist investors which is highly distorting the fabric of domestic trade of the Country. The retail trade in India is conducted by more than 7 crore small businesses generating an annual turnover of about Rs. 45 lakh crore. this sector gives employment to about 40 crore people in the Country.
Mr. Khandelwal informed that the Conference has chalked out an aggressive roadmap of its nationwide agitation from 13th November which will be observed as “ National Awareness Campaign Day “when traders delegation across Country will submit an exhaustive memorandum to all MPs of Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha and will demand them to raise the issue in Parliament and urge the Government to take action against these e commerce Companies. A “National Protest Day” will be held on 20th November and Protest Dharna will be organised in more than 500 cities of all States including State capitals. About 5 lakh traders are expected to take part in such protest. A “National Protest March Day” will be organised in more than 500 Districts of the Country where about 10 lakh traders will participate in Traders March and will submit a memorandum in the name of Prime Minister to their respective District Collectors. A “National Traders Rally Day” will be organised in more than 1000 cities of different States and about 20 lakh traders are expected to be a part of such Rallies. The CAIT delegations will also submit a memorandum to Chief Ministers of all States on the same day.
Mr. Khandelwal said that in continuation of the agitation a “Save Trade- Save Traders Rally” will be organised at New Delhi on 11th December which will be attended by thousands of traders across Country. The first phase of nationwide agitation will be concluded with a three days National Traders Convention to be held from 6th to 8th January at New Delhi which will be attended by trade leaders of about 20 thousand trade associations from all over the Country. The National Governing Council of the CAIT in association with other stakeholders will hold a meeting on 9th January at New Delhi and while taking stock of the situation will decide modalities of second phase of its agitation.
The Conference in a unanimous resolution urged Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Commerce Minister Shri Piyush Goyal to ensure that law and policy should be equal to all and must be followed in its true letter and spirit. When the traders of the Country are penalised even for a slight mistake and immediate action is taken against them by the concerned Authorities then why no action has been taken against Amazon, Flipkart and others for brutal, open and continuous violation of FDI policy of the Government. Its a matter of investigation that as to how these companies are able to continue their business inspite of suffering thousands crores of rupees every year. By offering predatory pricing and deep discounting they are indulging into under valued pricing which is far lower than the fair market value of different products, causing huge GST & Income Tax revenue of the Government. It is deeply regretted that inspite of making complaints, the Government has not taken any action against them. The resolution further said that the Government should immediately order for a closure of their e commerce portal pending an investigation by an independent Authority in a time bound manner.
The resolution further asked the Government to release draft of National E Commerce Policy immediately and trade representatives should be consulted before rolling out the draft. It has also demanded that a Regulatory Authority or an E Commerce Ombudsman should be constituted immediately to monitor and regulate the e commerce market and should be empowered to take penal & other action against any entity for violation of the law & policy or adopting any unethical & unfair business practices.