Pulwama attack: MP traders, farmers ban Pak imports, exports

The state's farmers have also said that they would not export tomatoes to the 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 kharak and sendha namak from Pakistan.

He informed that, 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, "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 on our jawans."

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 market, 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 the Pulwama terror attack, we have decided we will not sell Pakistani mangoes this time. Mangoes from Pakistan reach Indore mandi through Delhi."