New Delhi [India], October 16 (ANI): Festive optimism across India’s key commercial hubs has dissolved into widespread operational crisis as ongoing political demonstrations, transit shutdowns, and heavy security barricading choke core retail districts and cloud kitchen networks during the year’s peak business quarter.
From the high-street retail hubs of New Delhi to financial centres like Mumbai, business owners report devastating drops in footfall ahead of major festivals like Diwali and Navratri, as well as the upcoming wedding season.
Frustrated by mounting financial strain, merchant bodies have now escalated their grievances to federal ministries, city administrators, and the judiciary, demanding compensation and strict limits on central urban demonstrations.
The fallout from continuous agitation has hit both traditional dining and online food service networks heavily. Cloud kitchen operators report that movement curbs, traffic barricades, and transit blocks have severely disrupted logistical supply chains, triggering widespread order cancellations.
“I am connected to the restaurant and food service industry. We wait all year for this season, the festive season, around Diwali, to do our best business. But because of these protests, it feels as though we are still stuck in the off-season. We are facing significant difficulties in our operations. Cancellations of deliveries, catering orders, and food orders have become a common occurrence,” Jahan Khurana, a cloud kitchen owner, told ANI.
The Cloud kitchen owner emphasised that the protests should be paused at least until after the festive season.
He said, “Not only are we suffering financial losses, but there is also the mental strain of wondering how we will manage to cover our expenses. If things continue this way, we are likely heading into a very difficult period. It seems as though businesses across the board have come to a standstill… Given this, I believe the protests should be paused—at least until after Diwali—so that we can make the most of this festive season.”
In the national capital, central commercial associations argue that the intersection of heavy police security grids and persistent demonstration staging has bled merchants dry.
Amid the protests in Delhi, Khan Market Traders Association President Sanjeev Mehra noted that the intersection of heavy police security grids and stubborn protest staging has bled merchants dry, prompting formal petitions and demands for alternative demonstration zones outside core market areas.
“…Markets should have been bustling due to the festive season and the upcoming wedding season. But the customers are missing from the markets. So, we are suffering losses here. Delhi Police blocks roads for safety, as they claim. We were so troubled that we had no option but to write to the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Commerce Minister, MPs and everyone else, requesting them to put an end to this. That is why the Delhi Police took a decision not to allow protests at Jantar Mantar. It is a good decision because if there are no protests at Jantar Mantar, roads need not be closed. Then there would be no apprehension among people,” Sanjeev Mehra told ANI.
Khan Market Traders Association President further asserted that the stubbornness to protest at this particular spot is causing trouble, following which a petition has been filed before the Supreme Court.
“Their biggest stubbornness is to protest at this particular spot, and that is causing us a lot of trouble. That is why we even filed a petition before the Supreme Court…If we are not heard, we would like to state that we are descendants of the 1947 generation. Our parents have told us of that time. We should not have a similar situation…Your aim is not Gyanesh Kumar but the Government itself…We have suffered a loss of about Rs 200-300 Crores so far, as this is the festive season,” Mehra added.
The commercial pushback has spread beyond the national capital. In Mumbai, the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA) formally communicated its opposition to demonstrations led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) around Connaught Place and central zones, warning that urban blockades push consumers toward online alternatives.
In Mumbai, the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA) President Viren Shah has formally communicated its opposition to the ongoing protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) around Connaught Place and central city zones, warning that urban blockades hand an unfair advantage to e-commerce platforms.
“We have sent an email to Abhijeet Dipke this morning regarding the protests taking place in Connaught Place. Despite the government’s refusal to grant permission, the protests are continuing, and the government has even shut down the area for two days. This directly harms the traders, and we stand in solidarity with them. If such protests continue in any city—be it Mumbai or elsewhere—by taking place in the city centre, it discourages people from coming out, especially during the festive season of Diwali and Navratri when many usually head out in the evenings,” Viren Shah told ANI.
Shah asserted that the traders will oppose the protest if the demonstrations disrupt businesses or negatively impact the city centre.
“Online businesses have already grown significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, as shops remained closed during that period, allowing online retailers to gain an advantage. Today, our primary competition comes from online platforms… While every political party—or individuals like Abhijeet Dipke—has the right to protest, such demonstrations should be held in designated areas where they do not disrupt businesses or negatively impact the city centre. If these protests continue in this manner, we will oppose them,” Shah said.
Meanwhile, Traders have placed a set of demands before the Prime Minister’s Office following the October 10 protest. They have sought an official and transparent assessment of trade losses caused by the protest, with compensation to be recovered from the organisers.
The demands also include a complete ban on demonstrations, rallies and marches in Delhi’s market areas during the October to December festive season, and the framing of strict guidelines for protest permissions that make prior consultation with local market associations mandatory.
On Friday, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) had also proposed a “Lehra Do Tiranga” rally at Central Park in New Delhi. However, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has announced that Central Park in Connaught Place will be closed to the public on October 16 and 17 for “administrative reasons”. (ANI)
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