THE FORTUNE SWINGS!

When there is a dearth of air entering a space of vacuum, it creates a hell and lot of disturbance for that particular system. The condition of India's Multi-brand domestic retail shops is in such havoc state. When the ruling party announced their decision to allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, it took away the sleep of thousands of domestic traders and retailers alike. This is a period when the smallest of decisions can change the fate of so many people for their entire lives. FDI is a system in which foreign retailers can trade into our domestic markets with Government tax exemptions and other benefits. The foreign investors shake the normalcy of the common trader here and would attract a new brand of buyers. This will severely affect the profits of the common trader. But the Government needs to improve the annual GDP - the growth rate - to an expected 7% and there is no other way other than this. For some of the economists, the decision taken by the Government in allowing FDI into domestic markets in the form of multi-brand retail maybe right, but considering the effects that would be borne by the domestic traders is much more than it is expected by the authorities concerned. In the view of checking this reeling act and also for increasing the price of diesel - this would majorly hurt lorry men - NDA (National Democrative Alliance) and Left parties called on for a nation-wide bandh today. Only some days before, Trinamool Congress (TNC) led by the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Ms.Mamta Bannerjee withdrew its support to the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA). The sudden and surprising act of Ms.Bannerjee raised the expectations of early elections but those went to the ground when other coalition parties decided to stay intact with the Indian National Congress (INC) making its majority more than the required number. The enormity of the bandh could only be realized in the Northern states of India where the effects of FDI were already felt in an atrocious way when Singur happened. The people in those states breaking their normalcy to the fore flooded on the roads blocking any kind of road transport. The only state in the country which differed in the view of the bandh and where normalcy was upheld was Tamil Nadu. Even when Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) which is a strong coalition party to the UPA government announced its support to the bandh with its Labour Wing executing the orders, the effect of bandh was however less. The shops at the Koyambedu market -around 3000 in number - remained closed hugely distributing the 'metro' people in and around Chennai. Other than that, it was usual for the people of Tamil Nadu. Schools and colleges were open and the attendance was considerably normal. Government buses were on the road and the public transport - air transport, including - was not affected much. The public welfare offices also functioned normally making the total bandh meaningless in the state. It made everyone to realize that just calling a bandh alone will not squeeze the fire but right decisions benefiting all is the 'need of the hour'. Better decisions are made by better leaders. Better leaders are created under worse situations. In my point of view, the situation can't get worse than this and we shall hope it brings us better leaders and decisions. Let us rise to the problem to floor the solution!