Almost a week after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists disrupted their meeting, the Federation of Retail Traders and Welfare Association (FRTWA) on Tuesday said that they would soon form an NGO that would essentially address issues of all the traders and shopkeepers.
Viren Shah, joint secretary of FRTWA, said, “The aims and objectives of the NGO will become clearer in due course, but it will look at legal problems and other difficulties faced by shopkeepers. Advocate Majeed Memon will be leading it.”
Shah further said, “Raj Thackeray should respect other languages too. If he wants to negotiate he can say so. I will come and meet him personally. I respect the language and can even spread Marathi with him. But he has to change his style for that. We are not his Ghulam (slaves). The job of enforcing the law is of the government.”
Memon said there was a misunderstanding that traders were against putting up any board. “We never said traders should not use Marathi. In fact, BMC should take action if they do not follow the rule. Any shopkeeper, particularly in Maharashtrian dominated areas like Dadar, Lalbaug and Girgaum who feels that they should have bigger name boards, should go ahead and install one. All we said was the matter was pending in court and no one can force to have Marathi in the boldest font or at first,” he said.
Viren Shah, joint secretary of FRTWA, said, “The aims and objectives of the NGO will become clearer in due course, but it will look at legal problems and other difficulties faced by shopkeepers. Advocate Majeed Memon will be leading it.”
Shah further said, “Raj Thackeray should respect other languages too. If he wants to negotiate he can say so. I will come and meet him personally. I respect the language and can even spread Marathi with him. But he has to change his style for that. We are not his Ghulam (slaves). The job of enforcing the law is of the government.”
Memon said there was a misunderstanding that traders were against putting up any board. “We never said traders should not use Marathi. In fact, BMC should take action if they do not follow the rule. Any shopkeeper, particularly in Maharashtrian dominated areas like Dadar, Lalbaug and Girgaum who feels that they should have bigger name boards, should go ahead and install one. All we said was the matter was pending in court and no one can force to have Marathi in the boldest font or at first,” he said.