The Karnataka State Bakery, Condiments and Small Entrepreneurs' Federation has declared a statewide shutdown (bandh), citing systematic harassment of its members by law enforcement and criminals impersonating government officials. The federation alleges a dual threat is crippling small businesses across the state.
Impostors and Police Actions Spark Outrage
According to the federation, a disturbing trend has emerged where individuals falsely claiming to be officials from various agencies are targeting shops. These impostors represent themselves as personnel from the Greater Bengaluru Authority, assessment offices, crime branch, GST department, and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Their modus operandi involves visiting commercial establishments, issuing threats, and demanding money from the owners.
Compounding the problem, the federation accuses the police of simultaneously targeting the traders themselves. Instead of cracking down on the fake officials, police are allegedly seizing cigarette stocks from small businesses like bakeries, condiment shops, and beeda outlets. Traders report being summoned to police stations and forced to pay fines ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 to retrieve their confiscated goods.
Federation President Condemns Selective Enforcement
Federation President DB Pratap Shetty strongly condemned what he termed the relentless harassment of bakery owners and small traders. He stated that the operational environment has become increasingly hostile, with incidents of intimidation by local rowdies also on the rise.
Shetty highlighted the contradiction in policy, noting that cigarettes and pan masala are not entirely banned. "If authorities have an issue, they should impose an outright ban rather than first allowing sales and then confiscating stocks, which causes losses for traders," he argued. He added that many vendors would not oppose a total ban, but the current selective enforcement is unfair and devastating for small businesses.
Key Demands and Scale of the Protest
The federation, representing a vast network of bakeries, condiment shops, cigarette vendors, and pushcart traders, has put forth clear demands to the state government. Their primary calls to action include:
- Immediate return of all seized cigarettes by the police.
- The formulation of a clear and consistent policy on tobacco sales.
- A shift in enforcement focus from small vendors to large cigarette manufacturing companies.
In a significant suggestion, the federation pointed out that some Indian states have implemented complete bans on tobacco sales. They urged the Karnataka government to consider a similar approach by shutting down cigarette manufacturing units altogether. "If cigarettes are not manufactured, no shop will sell them, and traders will not be harassed," the federation stated.
The scale of the protest is substantial. The federation estimates there are between 70,000 and 80,000 bakeries in Bengaluru alone, with over a thousand more spread across the rest of Karnataka. This widespread bandh action underscores the depth of frustration among the state's small business community.
