Delhi traders call it ‘black day’ as ruling spurs protest

The news of the Supreme Court’s ban on the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR this Diwali spread like wildfire in the narrow alleys of the Capital’s largest wholesale market, Sadar Bazar, with hundreds of traders terming it a “black day” for their business.

The traders, who have been dealing in crackers for the last 20-25 years, claimed that their losses will run into crores. “As soon as the news came, the police started harassing us. They forcefully shut down our shops, saying that our licences were cancelled following the Supreme Court’s order,” said Ashish Wadhwa, a trader.

According to traders, around 500 temporary licences were issued in Delhi-NCR, of them 24 in Sadar Bazar. “The Supreme Court had imposed a ban on the sale of fireworks last year and then lifted it temporarily a fortnight ago. Why did they issue us the licences if they were planning to impose the ban right ahead of the festival? What will we do with the stocks now?” asked Harjit Singh Chhabra, head, Sadar Nishkarm Welfare Association.

“Every trader had procured stocks of at least Rs 5 lakh. That means crackers of around Rs 1.2 crore will go waste in Sadar Bazar itself. And the losses will …read more