In an attempt to pressurise the Union Government to roll back the decision to allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, an “anti-FDI” protest march was organised by the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) at Jantar Mantar here on Wednesday. The protesters charged the Union Government with ignoring the interests of the working class and protecting the interests of the multi-national retail giants.
NASVI president Arbind Singh, who led the street vendor's protest, highlighted the “irony” in the Government’s move to allow FDI in retail. “At one level the UPA government is introducing the Bill to protect livelihood of street vendors, but at the same time, multinational retail giants are being allowed in the retail sector, which will threaten the livelihood of vendors.”
“You cannot overcome, what the corporate and a section of mainstream media has termed ‘policy-paralysis’, by bringing in multi-nationals and threatening the livelihood of millions of vendors,” Mr. Singh added.
While explaining the logic of the protest, Mr. Singh argued: “FDI in essence, means direct foreign infiltration into domestic economy which will ruin the retail. It is only going help the real estate as the move would create demands for malls and real estate developers for retail space.”
Keywords: street vendors, FDI in retail, NASVI, Arbind Singh
These "millions of vendors" do not have any constitutional or assumed right to be doing business or to be protected. If anything, this disorganized and unaccountable practice was tolerated, not accepted into the system. Selling things on the street is a mafia way of doing business and poses many hazards. Millions of footpaths and public spaces have been occupied by such vendors for a long time, and now the threat is from real competition, not an evacuation notice. Let them get used to it.
What about the pros? Why are we always talking about the cons? Would it not bring in advanced technology with food processing, logistics, better food standards, better commodity prices for the farmers, ... We need to ask ourselves what transforms a developing country into a developed country and if we want to be treated as a developed country by others in the years to come... Just like there are 2 sides to a coin, there are always two sides to an equation. For once lets look at the other side and appreciate the PM for talking this bold step. I am not Pro-Cong.
The decision of UPA govt. for FDI in retail is a correct step in right direction which people realize as usual at a later stage.
Gandhiji would have opposed the FDI and gone on hunger strike. India
don't need foreigners to run the country.
While it is good to develop large walmart and Tesco like companies that can distribute well and reduce the great losses in perishable commodities that occur now, We should definitely develop this through Indian companies and not allow majority foreign investment stakes.
The concept of megamarkets like Tesco and Walmart have decimated farming in UK and USA by drastically bringing down price paid to farmers, while greatly increasing corporate profits. The only way farmers sustain agriculture is by government subsidy. However, India cannot afford subsidy and thus we should be really careful of this western approach of retail business in food areas. Manmohan Singh has made a grave mistake here.
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