Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Traders Federation has pledged its support to those political parties, which give a commitment in their election manifesto that they would oppose the WTO agreement, in the interest of our country.
Federation president T. Vellaiyan accompanied by the federation office-bearers called on Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa here on Sunday and wished her “all success to become CM again after clinching a historical victory in the May 16 polls.” The delegation also submitted a memorandum to her.
Earlier talking to reporters Vellaiyan said the WTO pact has sounded a death knell for retail traders with the introduction of FDI and online trading. Agriculture sector was the worst affected due to the WTO agreement, he said and added that if the Centre continued with its present policy of allowing FDI in key sectors, the retail trade would cease to exist in India in the next few years.
“As a result lakhs of retail traders would be affected badly,” he said and flayed the Centre for allowing FDI in the retail trade, insurance and telecom. Upon completing the 10-day long two-wheeler rally from Chennai to Kanyakumari to explain about the negative aspects of the WTO agreement to the people, Mr Vellaiyan said during the state-wide rally, the federation members covered over 1,500 km. During the rally, he could see the plight of the farmers and traders, who were affected by the WTO.
The federation has been staging various forms of agitations over the years against the ill-effects of the WTO agreement, which perpetrated the cause of the MNCs besides making India heavily dependant on imports.
