After an interaction with a delegation of traders on the eve of Christmas, Indian National Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the BJP government’s policies have dismembered the much respected small trading businesses.
On a post on X (formerly Twitter) social media platform, Rahul shared the feelings of the Vaishya community, stating their deep concerns who unanimously echoed, “Our business is on the brink of collapse“.
“This anguished cry from the Vaishya community in the business dialogue has truly shaken us to the core”, added Rahul.
“The very community that has historically contributed so much to the nation’s economy is now in despair today – this is a warning bell of danger” said the opposition leader.
The chains of bureaucracy and flawed policies like incorrect GST by the BJP government has given free rein to monopolies and has shackled small and medium traders, claimed Rahul Gandhi on his note.
“This is not just a policy failure – it is a direct assault on production, employment, and India’s future” noted Rahul Gandhi, India’s opposition leader
“This is a fight against the feudal mindset of the BJP government. And in this battle, I stand with full strength alongside the Vaishya community, the backbone of the country’s trade” added the leader.
It is notable that the Indian National Congress party has lost 71 of the 83 assembly elections held in the country since Rahul entered mainstream politics in 2004.
In parliamentary politics, the story is no less catastrophic. In 2014, the Congress was reduced to 44 Lok Sabha seats, a historic low that shocked even its detractors.
The collapse of its state power tells an even more haunting story.
In 2014, the Congress governed 11 states; today, it controls only three Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh.
“Against the lineage of political mastery, Rahul’s record looks painfully stark. He has become, by any objective measure, the most unsuccessful political inheritor in the history of the Nehru-Gandhi family.”
“That is not a slump. It is institutional liquidation”, Prabhu Chawla, the Editorial Director of The New Indian Express media house wrote in an article recently.
Editor’s Note
Single Brand Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Retail was first introduced in 2006 by the then Congress-led Manmohan Singh led UPA-Government, allowing 51% foreign investment under the government approval route.
In 2012, the same UPA Government, which was enjoying the people’s mandate a second time since 2009, increased the limit on Single Brand Retail FDI to 100%.
FDI in multi-brand Retail was introduced in India in 2012, also by the same Government, allowing up to 51% foreign investment in retail trade with government approval.
A lot has happened since the NDA Government first came to power in 2014.
There is no doubt that a section of small traders have been decimated over the last decade, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic led challenges.
However, the government policies alone cannot be blamed for the state of affairs of small businesses.
On one hand, E-commerce snatched the small scale high-street retail businesses from the mid 2010s up to 2020.
Thereafter, the quick commerce wave – delivery within 20 mins for grocery products and household items was perhaps more impactful for neighbourhood shopkeepers.
The Kirana shop owners thrived on the age-old tradition of being available at arms’ length distance to consumers, offering micro-credit, door delivery and access to a wide range of SKUs.