Her retort comes after the Prime Minister said opposition to FDI in retail stemmed from ‘outdated ideologies’
Immediately after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh lashed out at the critics of FDI in retail, saying their opposition was “constrained by outdated ideologies,” Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee hit back, claiming that she belonged to the grass roots and was “outdated.”
Her retort came after the Prime Minister made the remarks in his speech at the 85 annual general meeting of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry here.
When journalists sought her reaction, the West Bengal Chief Minister said she was part of the grass roots. The masses were generally outdated. So was she.
Ms. Banerjee withdrew her party’s support to the UPA after the Manmohan Singh government decided to allow foreign players in the multi-brand retail sector. The Trinamool Congress moved a no-confidence motion against the government in the Lok Sabha and voted for a motion, moved later, for withdrawal of the policy. Both fell through.
Addressing the FICCI meeting, Ms. Banerjee made an impassioned appeal to India Inc. to invest in West Bengal, promising to go the extra mile to resolve its problems and create infrastructure. Raising the contentious issue of land acquisition, she said her government would give permission for purchase of land for opening industrial units. She promised to formulate a land acquisition policy after the Centre came up with its legislation, but vowed not to touch farmland. To highlight her intent, she said that a couple of days ago, her government cleared 14 petitions relating to land for industrial purposes. Urging industrialists to invest in tourism, deep-sea port, and tea, Ms. Banerjee assured them that there would be no disturbance in the State, which boasted power surplus and cheap labour.
The Chief Minister criticised the Centre for not bailing the State out of its financial problems stemming from its high debt. “Is it not the duty of the Centre to take care of [the State’s finances] when my hands are tied and [I] cannot take loan, and the RBI simply draws Rs. 26,000 crore from our account annually?”
Keywords: Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister, FDI in retail, FICCI
I agree with the comment of Mr./Mrs. Mita. We must oppose the most
heinous move on the part of the Congress-led UPA government to allow 51%
FDI in multi-brand retail and 100% FDI in single brand retail in utter
disregard of the vehement protest from all sections of the people. This
predatory step of the ruling Indian bourgeoisie would pave the way for
complete takeover of the retail sector by the foreign monopolists which
would throw millions of small retailers and hawkers out of their sole
means of earning and turn them virtually into street beggars in absence
of any alternative way to eke out a livelihood. Succumbing to the
pressure of the giant MNCs who had for long been eyeing on this sector
in India, the government subserving the class interest of the ruling
Indian monopolists has forced the consumers already gasping under
galloping price line to further peril of shouldering the burden of
monopolistic prices of essential commodities to be dictated by foreign
retail chain owners.
Every one who counts in power is too keen to trade cheap labour power! What a fate. First these people contrived to keep millions after millions cheap in the labour market by contrived economics on entitlement and now are putting then on block for the benefit of corporate capital. We do not know how this democracy has worked and for whom.
Though I'm ambivalent towards FDI in retail, the "economist" Prime Minister's choice of words seems ludicrous! Our "honest" PM has failed to come out with any statistics/numbers to argue his case, which is surprising for a man of numbers. No survey/research has been conducted by the NSSO/the Statistical Institutes to support his theory. Rather we only hear hollow rhetoric and mindless blabber in support of FDI. Not surprising if one goes by his track record!
Mamata, without fully understanding the implications, spoke the truth, about herself. She is
outdated and is not in a position appreciate the realities facing the present imdia. She will
Have to UNLEARN HER PAST, AND MOVE ON TO LEARN ABOUT THE PRESENT, to
Make her presence felt , AS A LEADER OF VISION , who is concerned about the growth
Of our country.
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