Yesterday morning my visit to the neighbourhood fish and
vegetable market was a learning experience. The entire market yard was empty.
Even the living but non-human supportive infrastructure -- egrets, the
ubiquitous crows, the lone bull and dogs were absent.
The astounding response of the small vegetable and fish
vendors to a call by a national federation of small traders and businessmen for
a Bharat Trade Bandh to protest the Walmart-Flipkart deal and FDI in retail
made me think.
Did Sanatan, the genial vegetable grower, who brought to the
market fresh cauliflowers soon after harvest from his field fifteen kilometres
away understand what Walmart-Flipkart deal was about and how it would affect
him? I don't think I did, either.
In the process I missed both Sanatan and the cauliflowers.
Most grocers in the city had the shutters down as well. It was a fasting day
for the creatures I see in the vegetable and fish market; it seems they had
sensed the strike and were absent.
As the day progressed, the 'Bandh atmosphere' of the morning
spilled to another sensitive area as well. After Central Government accorded
approval to e- Pharmacy the pharmacists and medicine shop owners have been an
unhappy lot. The city's medicine shops had the shutters down yesterday in
protest against the decision.
The day seems destined to remain etched in the memory of many
as being one that witnessed the distinct articulation of the misgivings of
India's millions of modest breadwinners about the incoming Juggernaut of
western model of retail trade by application of technology, huge capital. How
successful this alternative model would be in ensuring social equity and
protecting the interest of producers and consumers and managing the sensitive
issue of job displacement seems unclear. The alarm button however has been
pressed and the matter needs to be handled with care.
*******
September 29, 2018
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