Column : Jobs, economics and self-esteem

Many of the arguments against foreign investment in retail in Parliament were fuelled by fear, self-interest and economic illiteracy. But one of the most pregnant statements was that big retail stores in the future “would be owned by American or British companies, sell goods of Chinese origin while India becomes a nation of sales boys and sales girls”. This statement implies that foreign companies have unfair advantages, sales is an inferior job, and buying goods made in China means the Chinese make all the money. It also implies that India will become like the Wimbledon; it is played in England but a Britisher almost never wins. I disagree and believe the opposition to FDI in retail was wrong for three reasons:

Jobs: We know that kirana (unorganised retail) shop owners are a much smaller population than exploited kirana workers. We know that unorganised retail is the biggest user of child labour. We know the tragic costs of informal employment (no PF, no ESI, no appointment letters and no minimum wages). We know that 100% of net job growth since 1991 has been in informal jobs; the slavery of the 21st century. We know that kids don’t view employment as a lifetime contract (mai-baap) but a taxicab relationship that is intense, intimate and short. We know that 10 lakh kids will be joining the labour force every month for the next 20 years. We also know that a sales

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