Soon after the UPA government took over for a second time in
2009, a worried Hillary Clinton, the US state secretary, had enquired from her
embassy in New Delhi:”How does Sharma (her obedient commerce minister of India) view India’s
current FDI guidelines? Which sectors does he plan to open further? Why he is
reluctant to open multi-brand retail?”(Wikileaks).She
enquired further: “Why was (Pranab) Mukherjee chosen for the finance portfolio
over Montek Singh Ahluwalia? How do Mukherjee and Ahluwalia get along? Does
Sharma get along with Mukherjee and prime minister Singh?” There is no need for
Hillary worrying, they are allgetting along fine in serving her government.
They are all in it as a team. And this team hurriedly tried to push through
with 100% FDI in retail to her satisfaction. But the US manipulation of the
other leaders of opposition parties did not work as planned and the UPA
government had to retire hurt for the time being as the parliament did not go
along with it.
But the compradors are really loyal to the cause of serving
the US dictated opening of the retail sector to MNCs. Even when the Congress
leaders Sonia and Rahul are busy in promising to do wonders for the people during
their election speeches, Manmohan,
Sharma and company were busy with
opening the single brand retail to 100% FDI. And according to latest reports,
on 27th February Sharma has assured Walmart and Metro, the giant
retail MNCs, that the reforms agenda is well on course and the decision to put
on hold FDI in multi-brand retail is just a pause forced by compulsion of
coalition politics. This assurance was given by him to Walmart president Doug
McMillon and Germany based Metro’s board member Frans W.H.Muller. What a
loyalty? Hillary and company will be delighted to have such compradors down
here who are ready to do anything at their bidding. The FICCI and CII chiefs,
true to their comprador character, are delighted with the speeding up of the
opening of retail and remaining sectors also to MNCs.
When the government is repeating that opening retail to MNCs
and Corporate houses will do away with the middlemen, the first to be affected
are the millions of men and women who are making a living by taking the vegetables
to the people. The millions of the small shop keepers will be forces to close
business, with thousands of them committing suicide. The fatal consequences of
opening up of a sector which presently provide employment for 44 million and a
total sale of $400 billion is not even discussed in the country. Only thing
which is evident is that Walmart and other MNCs will be immensely benefitted at
the cost of many millions in the country eventually surrendering the whole
lucrative sector to them at the peril of not only the vendors and shop keepers,
but also of millions of farmers and of working class and owners engaged in
small and medium industries.
UPA government is in a hurry to fully open up the country to
MNCs and other imperialist agencies, pauperizing the masses and devastating the
country, taking orders from the imperialist masters. It is the task of the
revolutionary left and democratic forces to beat back this reactionary
offensive of the compradors in power, running the ruling system.
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