Indore: The traders of Indore and Ujjain division on Sunday announced the stoppage of sale of edibles imported from Pakistan in protest against Pulwama terror attack on February 14, which killed 40 CRPF troopers. The state’s farmers have also said that they would not export tomatoes to neighbouring nation. The Pakistani items that have been banned by traders here are ‘sendha namak’ (rock salt), ‘kharak’ (dry dates) and mangoes.
Ramesh Khandelwal, president of Indore’s Siyaganj Wholesale Grocery Traders Association said his organisation would not import dry dates and rock salt from Pakistan. He said prior to the Pulwama attack, more than 300 quintals of kharak would reach Siyaganj Mandi from Pakistan and would then be supplied ahead to Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat.
Khandelwal said many grocers had even cancelled orders for these items that were placed before the attack took place. Jagdish Rawalia, Kisan Sena state secretary told PTI that farmers have decided that they will not sell their tomato produce to traders who export it further to Pakistan. Even if it causes us losses, we will not send our produce to a country, which is sponsoring terror attacks.”
Jhabua, Khargone, Shajapur and Dhar are major tomato-growing districts in the state and the produce from these places reaches Pakistan through mandis in Delhi and Mumbai, farmers said. Businessmen from Indore’s Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Fruit Market, one of the state’s biggest fruit trading markets, said they would not sell mangoes that have come in from the neighbouring country. Indore Fruit Merchants Association secretary Naresh Fundwani said, “In view of Pulwama terror attack, we have decided we will not sell Pakistani mangoes this time. Mangoes from Pakistan reach Indore mandi through Delhi.
