New Delhi, Jan 14 (KNN) Acknowledging the importance of vote bank politics in current political scenario, the Confederation of All India Traders Association (CAIT) has resolved to launch a nationwide campaign from February 1 to consolidate the trading community into a vote bank.       

The decision was taken during the National Governing Council Meeting of CAIT being held at Bhopal, where about 200 prominent trade leaders from 24 states of the country attended the meeting.

CAIT said “The political spectrum of the country has so far grossly neglected the trading community and has taken a comfortable ride on trading community of the country but now it is high time and the traders across the country have decided to bring end to this system.”

There are about 7 crore small businesses in the country providing livelihood and employment to about 45 crore people in the country generating an annual business of about Rs 42 lakh crores, the association added.

Further, CAIT pointed “After agriculture, retail trade is second largest employment providing sector in the country. It is noteworthy to mention that not only in economic sector but in social and religious sector the traders are playing a key role.”          

On this matter, National President of CAIT, B C Bhartia & Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that it has been seen since a long time that vote bank politics assumes much significance in the country and trading community in spite of its magnificent contribution to national exchequer has been highly neglected by political parties so far.

They said “No importance is given to trading community in political discourse.”

In the wake of ensuing forthcoming Lok Sabha polls and considering the fact that vote bank politics plays an important role in obtaining benefits for the sector, the trade leaders at the council meeting in a strong voice affirmed that if vote bank politics has its way, the trading community will not hesitate in converting itself into a vote bank and for consolidation of traders, an aggressive national campaign will be launched and all efforts will be made to ensure that in Lok Sabha polls traders vote as one block irrespective of their political party affiliations, they strongly pointed.

‘Trader First-Political Party Afterwards’ will be the slogan of vote bank national campaign.

The trade leaders also said that we will demand election tickets from different political parties for trade leaders active in respective political party.

The Lok Sabha polls are an opportunity for us to underline our importance in Indian economy and we are gearing ourselves for the cause-said the trade leaders.

CAIT said “Challenges like non-availability of easy finance to traders in a seamless manner, archaic laws, harrasment and victimisation at the hands of bureucracy, absence of any national or state level trade policy for traders, absence of any viable financial mechanism to provide financial assistance to traders, government policies to crush small traders have become the order of the day."

Political fraternity is least bothered about this sorry state of affairs and have always taken the trading community in a light manner deeply ignoring its handsome contribution to national economy, CAIT added.

Therefore it is the right time for the traders of the country to assert and realise their importance, CAIT added.