2007 Year End – Gathering Storm of Protests and Large scale Social Unrest in Incredible India

December 29, 2007 in BJP, acorn, agriculture, bharat, bhartiya, birla, congress, consultation, consultations, democracy, democratic, fdiwatch, fresh, india, indiafdiwatch, indian, investments, janata, janvad, khadya, lifestyle, malls, niti, parties, party, political, process, protests, reliance, retail, shopping, tata, tatas, tesco, walmart
Tags: bangalore, bardhan, BJP, chennai, congress, CPI, CPIM, delhi, democracy, employment, farmers, gurgaon, janvad, jobs, media, retail, rural, urban, youth

2007 Year End sees gathering Storm of Political Protests and Widespread Social Unrest in Incredible India -
The past few days witnessed interesting reports coming from ICRIER on their – “ongoing survey” of the likely impact of the corporate retail on the peoples livelihood. People protest continues.
1. In Kozhikode, Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi protested before corporate retail outlets. Thousands of mathadi workers, Traders,
2. Hawkers under the banner of Vyapaar, Rozgaar Suraksha Kriti Samiti blocked the main traffic intersection of Navi Mumbai paralysing the traffic in this satellite town of Mumbai on 18 December, 2007.
3. Today (29 December, 2007) Traders in Tamil Nadu would stage a day-long hunger strike in Chennai to protest the entry of MNCs and domestic industrial groups into the retail business under the banner of recently formed State Retail Traders Protection Committee.
4. Save Agriculture, Retail and Livelihood Campaign Committee of Karnataka is going to organize a public meeting on National Policy on Retail on 1st January, 2008 in Bangalore. Rs 3,50,000-crore retail market grew 7-8 per cent during the year, with the organised sector recording a 25 per cent growth.
5. Reliance announces massive plans of expansion in sectors other than fruits and vegetables; preparing to foray in Rs 2.5 lakh crore dairy business in a big way; acquiring aeroplanes to ferry farm produce.
6. Birla, Tata, Bharti and others gearing up to grab a chunk of the mammoth retail pie. India FDI Watch continues to get press (print as well as electronic).

With Best Wishes!

Dharmendra Kumar

Director – India FDI Watch
More Stories :
1. Political parties united in seeking cover for small traders – The BJP leader said he is against FDI in organized retail, since it will not bring in know-how, expertise or new technology
http://www.livemint.com/2007/12/13000503/Political-parties-united-in-se.html
2. Big retailers say they offer better deals; opponents raise national policy pitch -
Large cos say stopping them from entering retail will prevent farmers, consumers from getting best prices :
http://www.livemint.com/2007/12/12235629/Big-retailers-say-they-offer-b.html
3. The year of the jholawallah – YEAR-END SPECIAL – Aditi Phadnis / New Delhi December 28, 2007
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?leftnm=lmnu4&subLeft=2&autono=308927&tab=r
4. For 750 Million… Humans – The unilateral opening up of retail holds few pluses for the country
Krishan Bir Chaudhary
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20071231&fname=Cover+Story+(F)&sid=4
5. Protest against Reliance Retail outlets -
http://www.insidekerala.com/n/article/MainNews/11189/
Kozhikode: The city on Saturday witnessed fresh round of agitations against the retail outlets owned by the big companies. This time it was against the Reliance Fresh Outlets at Meenchanda and Chakkorathkulam. The activists of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi, DYFI and AIYF took out march to the shop. Police prevented the agitators from entering the shops. Traders closed their shops in various parts of the city protesting against the permission given to companies to open retail outlets
6. Reliance Retail kicks off massive recast – Sindhu Bhattacharya
http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=14571710
7. Tatas to up retail presence in south -
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage_c_online.php?leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=IN&autono=31554
8. Reliance to foray in dairy biz -
http://www.moneycontrol.com/india/news/business/reliance-to-foraydairy-biz/19/37/318994
9. Pharma retailers join hands to take on big chains -
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Services/Retailing/Pharma_retailers_join_hands_to_take_on_big_chains/articleshow/2633250.cms
10. Reliance Retail to acquire 50-70 aeroplanes to ferry farm produce -
http://www.indiaretailbiz.com/blog/2007/12/27/reliance-retail-to-acquire-50-70-aeroplanes-to-ferry-farm-produce/
11. Food processing minister expresses solidarity with organised sector -
http://www.indiaretailing.com/news.asp?id=1451&topic=1
12 . Organised retail’s biggest obstacle: Unorganised supply chains -
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/249286.html
13. New-borns – The years new-borns were Reliance, the Tatas and the A V Birla Group which made a foray into the business announcing their huge presence across the country, little realising that with grand plans come the challenges and the turmoil.
Political issues wreaked havoc on food retail expansion plans in the two troubled States, though companies are denying that they have slowed down their growth footprint. “We may not expand in these two States, but we stick to our target of 2,000 stores by 2010,” Bijou Kurien, President and Chief Executive, Lifestyle, Reliance Retail, told presspersons in Bangalore recently.