“RETAIL FDI BHAGAO” National Movement Launched

New Delhi, March 2, 2013: The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), an apex body of the trading community, has embarked on a national program to fight against Foreign Direct Investment in Retail Trade.

This programme was flagged off today in New Delhi under the theme “Retail FDI Bhagao- Apne Vatan ko Bachao” (Chase out Retail FDI, Save our Nation).

This programme will be simultaneously translated in all languages and converted into a mass movement in the bazaars and markets all over urban and rural India.

The CAIT has appointed national advertising agency R K Swamy Hansa Group to create the communication programme to educate and inform its constituents and the public about the dangers of FDI in retail. This is the first time that a retail trade body has appointed a communications consultant to help carry its message to the masses.

Disclosing further details, Praveen Khandelwal, National Secretary General of CAIT said that “We are launching this at a national public rally at the Ramlila grounds in Delhi on March 7 which to organised by CAIT and Khudra, FDI Virodhi Rashtriya Morcha . The rally will be attended by leading leaders of different political parties of the country including NDA and Left Front. We are approaching other national and regional political parties to participate in the rally and are quite hopeful of their participation”, said Khandelwal.

Prominent leaders like CAIT National organising Secretary  Satish Garg, Farmers leader Naresh Sirohi, CAIT Delhi General secretary Vijay Pal, Pradeep Singhal, Executive President all India Transport Welfare Association, Rajendra Kapoor, General Secretary Delhi, Goods Transport Association, R.B. Singh Rajpoot and Saudan Singh and National Hawkers Federation were also present.  

 “We expect tens of thousands of people from all over India to participate and carry the message to every part of the country. We have received overwhelming support from traders, farmers, transporters, small and medium enterprises, hawkers and consumer groups all over the country. The government policy favours foreign corporate over the welfare of the Indian people. We will mobilise mass support for this movement and will not permit our country’s markets to be taken over by multinationals. The people will surely speak”, said Khandelwal.

Explaining the communication programme, Shekar Swamy, CEO of R K Swamy Hansa Group, said, “A special musical anthem has been developed to highlight the problems that the people will face with retail FDI. Shop boards and retail signage and outdoor messaging will be prominently used to communicate the perils faced by the common man. This is ready media available to the trade. The bazaars of India will see a plethora of messages against the backdrop of the Indian tri-colour.”

The launch of the movement against retail FDI was done in the presence of Senior Parliamentarian and Chairman of Public Accounts Committee of Lok Sabha Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi and NDA Convener Sharad Yadav, Delhi BJP President Vijay Goel, who also flagged off a 5 days “Sampark Yatra” led by Praveen Khandelwal, which will be touring the entire city of Delhi for mobilising support for the Rally at Ramlila Maidan. The Yatra Convener and National Secretary of CAIT Ramesh Khanna told that a special tableau of the martyrs is a part of the Yatra which has been designed with a view to spread a message that at this crucial juncture when the Government is committing itself to sell off Indian markets to globe retailers, it has forgotten the great sacrifices of martyrs like Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Lala Lajpat Rai, Chandrashekhar Azad, Ashfaqulla Khan and Mangal Pandey  who are the part of the tableau.

The UPA government had passed the retail FDI in Parliament with a minority vote in the winter session of Parliament in 2012. “The people of India are against this policy. Most of the States have said “No” to this policy. Still the UPA government has gone ahead against the wishes of the people. This will be fought in every bazaar and mandi in India”, said Khandelwal.

CAIT Delhi State President Narendra Madan informed that at a meeting of Trade Associations held yesterday night which was attended by leaders of more than 150 Trade Associations of Delhi, it was a general view that traders should keep their shutters closed on March 7, the day of the rally and proceed to Ramlila Maidan with their employees. The All India Motor Transport Welfare Association and Delhi Goods Transport Association while extending their support to the Delhi Vyapar Bandh has declared to observe Vyapar Bandh in their respective transport trade. However, Madan said that a final decision will be taken by Monday in consultation with other Trade Associations of Delhi.