Senior Superitendent of Police (SSP) Anand Swaroop later accompanied the traders to the police firing ground, to provide them with a first-hand experience in using fire-arms. The traders, however, expressed their desire to hold regular training sessions, in order to gain enough experience before crisis occurs.

Speaking about the initiative, Swaroop said it will go a long way in boosting the confidence of the business community.

About the training session, he said the traders were informed about the basic features of the weapons — loading and aiming at the target — in the first meeting. On Friday, they will practice and sharpen their shooting skills by actually firing the shots on set targets.

The need for training was reiterated by industrialist Mickey Manchanda, who told The Indian Express that hardly 10 per cent of the people know how to load arms.

Another businessman, Alok Singh, said one of the reasons why some traders do not opt to keep fire-arms is the complicated procedure in getting the licence. However, official sources revealed that getting a licence now was no longer a complicated procedure, as the administrative authorities have come forward to aid those who genuinely need it.

The traders, meanwhile, also raised the issue of harassment and extortion by the police, while demanding more such meetings on a regular basis to discuss their grievances.