Reliance Fresh and Rural Economy

‘Dr S Ramadoss, the Pattal Makkal Katchi leader, is spearheading the opposition to Reliance Fresh on the ground that it will break the backbone of the rural economy in the southern state’

Nothing can be more rubbish and irrelevant than this statement. How can Reliance Fresh or for that matter any retail chain break the rural economy? On the contrary it will enrich the rural economy. This has direct relevance to why Radio news was never allowed in private sector in India. Here is how.
Imagine a professional radio news service all across the country. It has expose and news and analysis on what is happening in the country, information on the prices of commodities that a rural person needs from time to time, weather information and forecast that helps him to make decisions on his crop patterns, wisdom so that he can vote for the best possible candidate.
Hey stop here. What is that last point? Wisdom so that he can vote for the best possible candidate????
This is what hurts people like S Ramadoss and for long Mrs Indira Gandhi who had a stranglehold on the airwaves in the country. If you give rural guy wisdom, how on earth is he going to vote for you? So information was kept away from him. He could not afford a newspaper or a magazine. Television was far from his reach and even otherwise state run channels are no place to judge the government. The cheapest was radio and politicians from Jawaharlal Nehru to Ramadoss knew very well how catastrophic it would have been if news on radio was allowed.
Ramodoss should understand that we have reached from Nehru’s dream of self reliance to Reliance Fresh. Imagine a scenario where the farmer bids his product. He gets highest possible price. The farmer will not depend on the all powerful agriculture marketing committees, he will not depend on minimum support price or he will not even be indebted to the local Bania or Pathan.
Heritage Foods, Reliance Retail, Bharti Retail, Spencers Retail, Tatas and a number of bidders will make a beeline for the best product. When the farmer realizes high prices, he will have more options for himself and his family. His son will get educated. He will choose to migrate to a city nearby or choose to be a modern farmer. He will subscribe to the best possible views and analysis because of the education and then what happens to people like Ramadoss?
They will be dumped in political wilderness. So who is more interested in not allowing Reliance Fresh operate with profits? Rural economy or Urban politics? You judge.
We have lost the ability to judge political parties or ideology. The Left parties are projected as the messiah of the poor. But what is the basis of this statement? Each Left party ideologue have their children study abroad – most of them in the US against whom they are making this hoolaulah.
When the nation needs leadership to overcome deadly floods in most part of the country, Karat & Co is debating 123. When homeless people are crying for help, they are in serious debate how to derail the government.

Oh duck, where is this country going??