New Delhi
22 February 2007
Protests marked Thursday's visit by senior officials of Wal-Mart to
India as trade unions, hawkers unions and civil society organisations, supported by
certain political parties like the CPI(M), organised a march from VP House to Udyog
Bhawan, which houses the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Similar protests were
held in Mumbai and Bangalore. Police detained many protestors as a precautionay
measure.
Addressing the rally, Member of Parliament Abani Roy said that the foreign direct
investment (FDI) in retail would result in widespread unemployment and "massive
displacement of people from jobs". With around 12 million small shops, employing
more than four crore people, India currently has the largest number of small shops in the
world. How can the government even think of allowing multinationals like Wal-Mart in
India?" Mr Roy told the protestors.
Voicing his concern against Wal-Mart, Dharmendra Kumar, who is the campaign
organiser of India FDI Watch, said that FDI in retail was different from other greenfield
investments in the country. "Wal-Mart is known for its unethical and inhuman practices
worldover. Allowing it to operate in India would not only see loss of jobs in the
unorganised sector but a large chunk of profits will be repatriated out of India," he said.
Veteran parliamentarians like Nilotpal Basu, D Devarajan, Vijendra Sharma, Gurudas
Dasgupta and other prominent leaders were present on the occasion.
The FDI Watch, which organised the protest, was supported by the Confederation of All
India Traders (CAIT), Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), National Alliance of Peoples
Movement (NAPM), Students Federation of India (SFI), Democratic Youths Federation of
India (DYFI), Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU), harit Recyclers
Association (HRA), Urban Street Vendors of India (NASVI) and National Hawkers
Federation, National Alliance of Street Vendors (NASVI) and Hawkers Maulik Adhikar
Suraksha Manch.
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