The Indian state of Haryana, which has a large number of textile and garment factories in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Panipat, Sonipat, and in few of its other cities, is facing violent protests over the Jat community demanding reservation in jobs and education, among other areas, severely affecting the functioning of the industry in this region.
Several factories witnessed low attendance of workers, especially in villages and areas where roads were blocked by agitators. When Apparel Resources spoke to the management and staff of some of these companies about the impact these protests are having on their business, there was a mixed response from the people there. Factories located within the Panipat city area are running as usual, but a few units situated on the outskirts of the city or in some of the villages remained closed. A few garmenting units in Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon and Manesar and few others in the remote areas of Faridabad witnessed absenteeism.
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Ramesh Verma of Diamond Exports, a home furnishing export firm, who also heads the textile associations in Panipat, said, “Although business ran smoothly, the negative sentiment created by this protest is a concern.”
Raman, an HR manager in one of Gurgaon’s garment factories in Udyog Vihar, told on condition that his company’s name be kept undisclosed, said, “Labour, particularly the mid-level staff, are scared. So some are absent, while a few others came late due to jams in a few places.”
A similar pattern was seen in Sonipat, nearby Kundli, and other industrial areas, where several roads remained blocked due to the protests.
Meanwhile, businessman in Punjab, who frequently travel to Delhi, are also facing the heat of the quota row, as more than 400 trains were cancelled. Sohan Lal, a Ludhiana-based garment businessman, said that he missed the flight from Delhi to Mumbai due to this row. Many other Panipat-based home furnishing companies taking part in the Indian Handicrafts & Gifts Fair at India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida are concerned about their safe and timely return to Panipat.
