CHENNAI: Responding to a call to protest the Centre’s decision to open up the retail sector to foreign direct investment (FDI), more than 20 lakh retail shops across the state stayed shut on Thursday.

In Chennai, all wholesale and retail shops in Burma Bazaar downed their shutters. Koyambedu market was also shut for the day. However, in other areas the response was mixed. The dawn-to-dusk strike was spearheaded by Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangakalin Peravai. The trade body wanted the Centre to roll back the decision on the grounds that FDI in retail trade would “harm” shop owners and workers. However, a section of traders contended that there was no reason to call for a hartal as chief minister J Jayalalithaa had taken up the issue with the UPA government .

Shops remained open in Anna Nagar during the afternoon, while they were closed in Triplicane, Guindy, T Nagar, Vadapalani, Ashok Nagar, Adyar, parts of ECR and Velachery. In areas such as Rangarajapuram, Ashok Nagar and KK Nagar, police had to intervene when a mob threatened shopkeepers .

Employees working in Kodambakkam found it difficult to get lunch and had to settle for tea/coffee. Homemakers were also hard hit as groceries were not available. “I walked down many streets to buy a few groceries, but had to return home empty-handed,” said Sabitha Shastri, a resident of Chetpet.

Elango Xavier, a resident of Susaipuram in Nungambakkam, said shops remained shut even in the evening although it was a dawn-to-dusk hartal. “I had gone to the shop to buy meat as I had guests coming over for dinner. But, I could find only eggs as shops were closed.”

A M Vikrama Raja, president of Federation of Tamil Nadu Traders’ Association said, “The stir has been a total success. It has expressed the strong feelings of the trading community against the entry of FDI. The Centre should immediately reconsider its decision failing which traders will resort to other means of protest.”’

Tamil Nadu chamber of commerce and industry said traders would not accept any reasons professed by the Prime Minister to justify permitting FDI in multi-brand retail.