Protests in Telangana erupt against ‘Marwadi’ traders

An altercation between a jeweller and a basti resident in Hyderbad parking lot has snowballed into a ‘Go Back Marwadi’ campaign in the city and other towns like Toopran and Amanagal in Telangana.

Activists and small business owners are protesting against the ‘Marwadis’ (a loose term used to describe traders from Gujarat and Rajasthan), alleging that they are hurting the business interests of traders from Telangana.

However, the people involved in the parking lot fight have patched up, saying that the incident was a personal dispute and had no ‘Marwadi’ connection.

Despite this, the incident, sparked protests across several towns, with local business communities and activists holding rallies to protest against traders from other States.

Poets and intellectuals held a meeting two days ago to lend their support to the protesters. 

Raghavachari, a leader of Palamuru Adhyayana Vedika, stated that local traders in small towns (with a population of 5 lakhs or less) are facing numerous challenges. “They are unable to face the competition from the outside traders,” he said.

Subhash Agarwal, President of Telangana Pravasi Samaj Welfare Association, calls for a peaceful resolution of issues. “There are 45 lakh people who have come from different parts of the country and have been living peacefully for decades. What happened last week was unfortunate, and we need to resolve it peacefully,” he said.

Defending the traders from outside, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said that they were not after political power, nor did they loot Telangana.

“They have created wealth through business and contributed significantly to the growth of the State’s GDP,” he said.

Published on August 22, 2025