THE SABOTEUR WITHIN
Sign in
  • BLOG
  • Editor's Picks
  • |
  • Technology
  • |
  • Entrepreneurship
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Finance
  • |
  • Career
  • |
  • New India
  • |
  • Entertainment
  • |
  • Others

    • THE SABOTEUR WITHIN
    Contentious issues need to be discussed to arrive at a consensus. Especially if the issue involves livelihood of millions of people no matter whatever authority an elected government has, discussions are a must to analyse the pros and cons of any policy decision. FDI in retail is one such which has now been sought to be bulldozed by the UPA-II Government obviously to please US interests who are seething with anger on the inability expressed by our PM to renege on the nuclear liability law passed by our Parliament to commence nuclear commerce. BJP and CPM and some of UPA allies are up in arms. Commerce Minister claims that this policy will improve the lot of our poor farmers and there are enough safeguards to protect the neighborhood kirana stores. He also claims since Retail is a state subject, States will be free to either allow of disallow FDI in retail.  the tall claims made are creation of 6 million new jobs both direct and indirect while the fact remains Walmart only employs 1.2 million people worldwide. We understand from Mahesh Jethmalani and Upadyaya of TMC that 11th Plan document stated that FID in retail should not be allowed and a parliamentary standing committee on which UPA waxes eloquent infact vetoed such a policy as  being detrimental to our interests. While admitting that it is the prerogative of the Government of the day to formulate policies, leader of opposition in Rajyasabha  Arun Jaitley maintains that taking decision on reforms in 2011 is different from 1991 in as much as there is no pressing need to go ahead without viewing the policy in total perspective vis a vis our national interests.

    Sidelining all such claims the Government claims it has a mandate and also that the move is as a result of expert committee recommendation. It is atrocious that the expert committe discussed with hardly 1% of stakeholders with a very poor sample size to arrive at the merits of opening up retail for FDI. This is the way Dr Manmohan Singh handles all issues dear to him. Even during the early 90s, when PVN was on a reform spree, Arjun singh wanted a human face to reforms. But all of Dr. Singh''s reforms are so inhuman that it is to be opposed tooth and nail. When SC ordered demolition of illegal buildings of traders on path reserved for walking by the elite class of Delhi, it forgot the miseries that it could cause to poor vendors who were allowed to put the shops in place by corrupt officials of MCD. The issue of livelihood was sacrificed on the altar of beautification  drives.

    In such an issue, all stakeholders should have been involved in discussion. The traders should have been given an opportunity to express their viewpoint through their association. Even today ICAI objects to foreign Firms to dothe function of auditing in India. foreign legal firms are not given licence to practice in Indian courts. The upper echelons of society have strong lobbies. Poor Traders do not have. the reason for allowing FDI is it is claimed to offer variety of choices to consumer and also to improve back end infrastructure. the consumer here is the elite middle class. There is no regulatory mechanism to check if the intended investments flow in to building up back end infra structure at all. One can always fudge figures.

    What is the tearing hurry to rush through this piece of policy? It is true BJP when in power was supportive of the idea but now expresses reservations because of impending elections in UP where there is huge trader lobby. Poor Rahul has toiled all these years to make congress a force to reckon with in UP and this PM brings in a policy which will make the vote bank of Congress vanish in to thin air. Probably he is doing it with a vengence as to deny Rahul the heirship. Sonia is well advised to dump this man before it is too late for the party to recover from an impending electoral debacle. Dr.Singh has nothing to lose but Sonia has everything to lose.
    start_blog_img