Skip to main content

Hooplah over FDI in retail

Off late, everyone is jumping up and down on FDI in retail and the problems it will solve (As if it is the ultimate panacea of all the problems in India). Frankly it is boring to the point of a piss off. It now seems that everyone in the nation is advocating this FDI as if they are the experts on economic affairs or trade affairs. Well, if we have such a dumb economist of a Prime Minister, why can't we brag something about economics?
But the advantages being pointed out, are far too exaggerated and  cheesy. It is like you are going to thrust them down my throat. I now even expect to read yet another article, plea in a newspaper that may write that Indians would stop raping their woman if they get more retail stores. Seriously, why all this fuss for a grocery store man?

I like reforms, I like a free economy, I like agriculture. I love shopping. But all this going on in the media and elsewhere is pure sham. For more than 60 years Indians could do nothing for their farmers, except pumping copious amounts of insecticides and chemicals (anyone remember green revolution?) and now it seems all Indians have come to this drastic conclusion that a foreign fellow will invest 51% in the karyana store and all problems shall be resolved. Dumb. Why then we wanted independence from the Britishers? East India Company was 100% FDI. It introduced the concept of cash crops in India and modernized our irrigation systems. Should it be that Mr. Prime Minister, calls them back because the country thinks that foreigners will be better off in handling our agriculture crisis?

Coming to the point on jobs. It is being bragged around that hundreds of jobs will be created. But then, if these companies are so efficient, will they be employing a massive workforce or a lean mean team of people. If we are so worried about our employment figures, why not check our ever exploding population? A topic so untouched and d-reserved out of public debates. Or is it again, that you need a foreigner to teach you, a country of billion plus people, how to manage your population.

Another segment of society wants more retail options. I support that. But has it ever occurred to anyone that we don't have enough electricity to educate our children or give uninterrupted power supply to our factories, from where will the energy come to power the AC's of the mammoth stores that have to be come up. Are we really ready for the same?

Govt. allows 100% FDI in cold storage business. If no wastage of food products could be controlled by that measure, how would 51% in retail cure the problem?

Point again is, grow up. If you really want to have a reform, show the spine and get the job done. Whimpers don't help in running a country.




Comments

Also read

Learning from Gardening

While composing status messages, just for fun, I simply jot down anything random that comes to my mind at the moment. Here is the latest FB message i posted few seconds ago. Tushar Mangl learns a lot from his gardening routine. Even when his plants die, he simply feels bad and then goes about to plan for new plants. Mostly because an empty space does not look that good. That is life for you. People will always go away from your life, at one point or another. But you cannot always leave the places vacan t. New plants have to be placed. Optimism has to exist for new flowers to bloom, new leaves to grow. Now, FB only gives me 422 characters to say my point. But my dear blogger, a companion of several years gives me much better platform to elaborate my thoughts. You see, in a flower bed I maintain near stairs of my house I had planted bougainvillea plants on either sides of the bed. As fate would have it, and given my nature of getting too attached to livi...

A suggestion to break the loop of guilt, isolation, and emotional burnout?

Caught in a guilt spiral, isolating quietly, and wondering why rest doesn’t heal you? You’re not lazy—you’re carrying layers of unprocessed emotion and spiritual exhaustion. This is your invitation to pause, reflect, and reset. Let’s explore why you still feel stuck despite good intentions, and discover rituals, reflections, and real reconnection to help you come home to yourself. First Published on 20/06/2008 14:30 Second edition Published on 04/07/2025 12:51 Why do you keep spiraling despite good intentions? Let me ask you this. Have you ever written out a self-care plan so perfectly, maybe in a brand-new notebook—drink more water, meditate, go to therapy—and yet by day three you’re numbly binge-scrolling, wondering what’s broken now ? Yeah. Same. We don’t spiral because we’re undisciplined or lazy. We spiral because the emotional weight we’re carrying goes deeper than we admit. It's not about a missed workout or failing to reply to that one text. It's the inner tug-of...

Cutting people off isn’t strength—It is a trauma response

Your ability to cut people off and self-isolate is not a skill you should be proud of—It is a trauma response Cutting people off and self-isolating may feel like a protective shield, but it is often rooted in unresolved or unhealed trauma and an inability to depend on others. While these behaviors seem like self-preservation, they end up reinforcing isolation and blocking meaningful connections. Confronting these patterns, seeking therapy, and nurturing supportive relationships can help break this unhealthy cycle. Plus, a simple act like planting a jasmine plant can symbolise the start of your journey towards emotional healing. Why do we cut people off and isolate? If you’re someone who prides themselves on “cutting people off” or keeping a tight circle, you might believe it’s a skill—a way to protect yourself from betrayal, hurt, or unnecessary drama. I get it. I’ve been there, too. But here’s the thing: this ability to isolate yourself is not as empowering as it may seem. In fact, i...