CAIT urges trading community to observe lockdown

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Mar 25, 2020

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has voiced its support for the 21-day lockdown in India and urged Indian traders to observe the ruling in order to contain coronavirus in the country.

 
CAIT announced that seven crore traders and their 40 crore employees stand in solidarity with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Government and the decision to enforce a 21-day lockdown across India, ET Bureau reported, in an article CAIT linked to on its Facebook page. 
 
“The trading community will not lag behind in extending all cooperation at this hour of critical crisis for the nation,” said CAIT’s secretary general, Praveen Khandelwal, ET Bureau reported.

Khandelwal called the lockdown the need of the hour and asked all Indian citizens to stay at home. 
 
The traders’ body plans to launch a media campaign to encourage the public to follow the lockdown titled ‘Stay Home, Stay Safe”. After regional lockdowns were met with mixed cooperation, the government has imposed strict legal sanctions for anyone flouting the lockdown. 
 
Prior to the nationwide lockdown, CAIT had already asked traders in Delhi to shut all markets in the capital from March 21 to 23, apart from for sellers retailing essential items such as food and medical supplies, it announced on Facebook. CAIT called on Delhi’s traders to “participate wholeheartedly and fulfil your responsibility.”
 
As closing down business operations will leave many traders with cash flow problems - especially micro, small, and medium enterprises - CAIT has asked for government and insurance support for businesses.