Virendra Singh Rawat / Lucknow
Uttar Pradesh traders today burnt the effigy of global ecommerce giants alleging that these multinational were conspiring to destroy the traditional retail ecosystem in India.
With the festival of colours ‘Holi’ round the corner which is also marked with the burning of ‘Holika’ (a vice character according to Hindu mythology) in the form of logs of wood and dry colours, the state traders burnt the ecommerce platforms in effigy.
Under the aegis of UP Adarsh Vyapar Mandal and the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), the traders were protesting in Lucknow against top ecommerce giants including Amazon, Flipkart (which is now majorly owned by foreign entities) etc.
Meanwhile, Mandal state president and CAIT regional chairman Sanjay Gupta demanded that an ecommerce policy should be framed for the state as well as the country.
“In the absence of an ecommerce policy, the ecommerce companies are hatching a conspiracy to arbitrarily destroy the traditional trade and commerce,” he alleged adding, if the foreign ecommerce companies were not restrained, the domestic traders would face a livelihood crisis sooner than later.
Gupta claimed since there were no specific ecommerce laws in India, the foreign ecommerce companies were interpreting the existing laws according to their convenience, and also violating norms, which was hurting the traditional traders.
“These ecommerce companies keep a budgetary provision to incur losses in India so that they could offer deep discounts, while fixing selling prices to suit their interests,” he added.
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Gupta warned the real face of these ecommerce companies would be exposed once they succeed in destroying traditional retail and metamorphosing the buying pattern of consumers. “However, it would be too late by then if corrective measures are not taken in earnest.”