Palika Bazar on notorious markets list, traders resentful

To call the products counterfeit is simply defamatory: traders

With the city’s Palika Bazar being featured on the notorious markets list of the US Trade Representatives (USTR), traders at the market expressed discontent with most stating that the government should come forward to defend them “against the fake allegation”.

The USTR’s annual list highlighted 35 physical markets and 42 online markets selling counterfeit products. Online retail store AliExpress of China, movie streaming website FMovies and shadow library website Sci-Hub are a few of the online ventures mentioned in the list. 

For India, the list includes e-commerce site IndiaMART, physical markets in Delhi’s Palika Bazar and Tank Road, Mumbai’s Heera Panna and Kolkata’s Kidderpore market. 

Speaking to  The Hindu, most electronic, cosmetic and watch store owners at Palika Bazar — an underground market complex located in Connaught place —said their goods were from “other countries” and are sold here at a pocket-friendly price, without any warranty certificates.

Darshan Kakkar, president of Palika Bazar Association, said this was the second time the market was termed notorious. 

“But none of the material is counterfeit, we sell it at a cheap price and this is done across markets in the country,” said Mr. Kakkar.

“Our market has a name and it has seen a wave of change in terms of the products. Electronic stores are very few, while it mostly has apparel stores and tattoo shops. But to call the material counterfeit is simply defamatory,” he added.