Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday vigorously defended his Cabinet's approval for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the multi-brand retail sector, hours after the Opposition and Congress allies forced an adjournment of Parliament for the third day demanding that the decision be reversed.
The Prime Minister used the valedictory session here of the Youth Congress convention of elected office-bearers to not only pitch for the controversial FDI policy but also criticise the Opposition for not allowing the Parliament to function, and explain the steps taken by the government to control inflation. He said he expected to see a reduction in inflation by March 2012.
Pointing to the benefits that would accrue to farmers and consumers, and increased employment opportunities in rural areas, if FDI in multibrand retail became a reality, the Prime Minister said the policy had a provision that would take care of the interests of small traders. Besides, the experience of other countries demonstrated that small and big retailers could co-exist.
“We have not taken this decision in haste, but after a lot of consideration,” Dr. Singh said, stressing, “It is our firm conviction that the decision will benefit our country.”
Referring to the opposition from many State governments, he said the Centre was not forcing anyone to follow this policy: “State governments that are not convinced of its usefulness have the means to prevent foreign participation in retail businesses in their States.” He asked the YC leaders to help the government in sending a right message to the public about its intention in permitting FDI in the retail sector.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who made her first post-surgery public speech at the convention, did not refer to the FDI issue at all.
Instead, describing corruption as “the plague of public life,” she said the government was committed to eradicating it through a strong and effective Lokpal Bill and several other laws, including one on electoral reforms. She only hoped that the Opposition would support the government in making this possible. It was the Congress, she said, which had given the country the Right to Information, “a powerful weapon against corruption.”
Both the Prime Minister and the Congress president said they hoped to bring in the Right to Food Bill in the winter session of Parliament.
Earlier in the day, the Youth Congress pulled in a range of speakers not just from the world of politics, including Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee and Kumari Selja and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, but also sociologist Ashis Nandy and Unique Identification Authority of India Chairman Nandan Nilekani.
Rahul on youth power
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who was the centrepiece of the two-day convention, spoke on Tuesday again. Making a short speech in English, he said: “Gandhiji broke the doors of our organisation open with the force of his personality. Today we don't have a Gandhiji. That is why we are using a system of elections and democratisation that will enable the Youth Congress to open itself to the youth of our nation. This system of periodic elections will ensure that the youth of India have the opportunity to elect their own leaders every two years.”
Keywords: Parliament logjam, FDI in retail, Opposition parties
All that the PM says is that FDI in retail will benefit everybody. He does not explain how. Are the countries, who have implemented it, really benefiting from it? Where are the statistics? PM says this decision was taken after a lot of deliberation. How are we to trust him and his team after all the scams and corruption that have come to light? Does he take us for dumb fools? If he has to convince us, then he should produce evidence and good analysis as to why FDI will benefit us. This time let's not get duped.
The govt should avoid the implementation of the policy of foreign direct
investment in the retail sector.It will make a monopoly trade in the
retail sector, that will definitely affect the small retail owners in
our country. India is a democratic country and democracy mean for the
people ,so the manmohan singh govt should rethink about the FDI policy
and move back from this.
PM says that the decision to allow FDI in retail market was taken after
a lot of consideration.People would like to know what was the
consideration.Sonia Gandhi says that the government is committed to
eradicate corruption.People know the credibility of such
statements.Rahul should know that the youth of this country want
corruption free govt.People expect the corrupt ministers dropped.
This is so unfortunate decision taken by the UPA Government. Government should know the dynamics of the country and people inorder to take a decision on the policy matters such as FDI. Without thinking about alternate sources of employement, succumbing to the pressure of MNC is not acceptable. Government should rollback its decision or else comeup with a better package to the hapless small time grocery shop owners.
We are leading to nowhere. This Government continues to take some disputable policy decisions so as to distract the attention of media and citizens, and the opposition parties will keep distrupting the parliamentary proceedings without discussing the crucial matters. Parliamentary democracy is losing its shine in today's India.
Mr. Prime Minister, Please publish all your considered options. Why you did not bring bill this before parliament for a long discussion?
Isn't time for you to resign for not meeting the basic mandate given to you? Your desire to cling on to the post is much worse than any other corruption going on in India.
Is this your proposed youth movement is to support nepotism and despotism? Nepotism and depotism are worse than corruption. Corruption is a tool to bring Despots to the power.
Crocodile sheds tears at lambs, hyenas smiles at sheeps, Serial killer invites his victim, rapist befriends a young girl, terrorist prosternates to SWAMI, Italian Mafian LADY CHEf cries when people suffer and when she talks about LOKPAL , she wants to hide another crime that she lets the beardy robot MAD MAN SING WHOSE robotic gestures and speech are well known. He loves to mechanically and soullessly shake his head and wave his hand when the Mafian lady turns her Key in his back !
manmohan has gone mad : he says that experience says that small and
big retailers can co-exist ... do small fish and big fish co-exist
... always small fishes are eaten up by the larger ones ..
manmohan seems to either lie, or to think that all other indians are
fools.
Already we see the chaos in Soft Drinks. Millions of workers who were
depending on colour sodas, ordinary soda by bicycles were wiped out
from India. Ground water meant for the poor people, tribals and fisher
people, and Dalits are taken away by the MNCs for profit and our
people are left without drinking water. In the beginning these MNcs
sold these for Five Rupees cheaper than colour sodas and better
quality. many Indians will be employed by the MNCs. Once our people
are wiped out, MNCs started raising the price of Soft drinks.
In the similar way in the beginning these FDI s will be cheaper than
Indian retailers. And so many Indians will be employed. But when we
compare the India retailers all over India who are going to be wiped
our the new employees are negligible. Once all the Indian Retailers
are wiped out, FDIs will start raising the prices like the Soft
Drinks.
FDIS are dangerous and we should oppose tooth and nail.
If PM can consider FDI, Why not PM allow foreign oil companies in Petroleum sector too so that same benefits will accrue to consumers?
Another areas is allowing foreign airlines to operate within India so that we all can expect good competition!!!?
there is lots of apprehension regarding FDI in retail sector .how you
will insure equal availability of goods every where in india; there is
possibility of accumulation of goods in urban area by these companies.As
you are saying that it is the last resort for reducing the high price of
daily consumer goods so there is another fear-these shops will be
located only in cities then you people are not thinking about rural
population who will continue to buy things on higher price because they
can not go from their village to city for purchasing.
There are both advantages & disadvantages-
advantages could be: Training of local labor with more sophisticated techniques which on the long run will bring external benefits to the host country when these techniques can be used in all economic sector.
raise the growth rate of host nation by introducing new investment and new technology. induce their local rivals to become more innovative and competitive. promote improvement or development to various supporting industry or complementary industries
contributions of taxation, plus providing the host country with foreign exchange that can be used to purchase vital imports. The disadvantages are : MNC may enjoys high competitive advantages over local firms that can destroy local competition rather than promote it. They can require their subsidiaries to operate polices that may be inefficient or create distortion in local market
. they may misuse the environment .
only big businesses can get in and take all of it, It is most useless
policy because to todays Indian circumstance people are way too much
fed up, I am just trying to say you dear prime minister man mohan sir,
Its jungle out there and FDI is good thing that can happen to our
country but please please sir please allow small vendors to register
and supply for Walmart, Please also safe guard farmers rights in this
because farmers are way to poor. Please ask Companies to proove that
they are farmer before even registering for their vendor for agri
products this will be very vital and people with just 2 to 3 acres
land will survive globalization and with this every one will be happy,
Because Farmers have right to live in this world.
If the Congress were to eradicate corruption it would take a great leap
in its support in the country . Corruption apart from eating into the
vitals of this country is also very demoralising and enervating.
I THINK THIS IS VERY RIGHT DECISION OF INDIAN GOVERNMENT TO MAKE GROW INDIAN ECONOMY.IF RETAIL SECTOR EXPANDED HIS BUSINESS IN INDIA ,SO IT WILL VERY BENEFICIAL FOR US .
when people have reservations on FDI as they lost their faith on PM's
economic policy and paying through their nose why PM is so adamant after
all India is a democracy, so PM's adamance means nothing in democracy.
This adamant attitude gives some wrong signal on government policies, it
seems
Whatever happened to the consensus Mantra Honourable PM was chanting in case of Telangana? This is far more important an issue of utmost national importance. This has been decided by the cabinet and being pushed down the nations throat. Even UPA allies are opposing it. So much for consensus politics.
Dear Editor: This is very likely to go the way the nuclear deal was handled. Congress and its managers will work towards ensuring a working majority in parliament - till date the system has been manipulated to ensure that nothing tangible will come out in the cash for vote scam.
The threat of Chinese goods flooding India will increase by opening of retail to FDI. Almost every other household item in US is made in China and the same thing could repeat in India. Government must have mandated 70% procurement locally.
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