Is calling a two-day bandh good for the country and its people? Secretary General of Confederation of All India Traders Praveen Khandelwal joined IBNLive readers for an interaction the issue.
Q. There is a feeling that lot of vandalism and arson is being done by people who are motivated by political parties and common man is not involved in the bandh call? Asked by: Hitesh
A. Any kind of vandalism and arson is deeply condemned. A peaceful and disciplined agitation is the essence of democracy.
Q. Calling for a two day bandh is fine but what about govt's counter arguments that inflation is because of global meltdown, rise in middle class consumption and middle class is prospering like never before? Asked by: Shailesh
A. The Government has forgotten about its wrong policies which have resulted in to the present economic crisis. The invitation to global firms to improve the economy is not going to yield any results rather than improving the infrastructure.
Q. Do you feel that there have been bizarre remarks by some leaders like car damaged would get money returned from insurers or govt would give car owners new cars so is not the bandh call losing its focus by such outrageous remarks? Asked by: Ravi
A. If this kind of feeling is generated by some self styled unwanted people is undesirable.
Q. Why is bandh call not seeing its impacts all over the country and in just fragmented response in very limited areas like in some parts of NCR? Asked by: Ravi
A. In fact, it is not the bandh but an industrial strike in the country which has registered a tremendous response.
Q. Why are you calling for a bandh now? Does it have anything to do with the coming budget session? Asked by: Ravi
A. The bandh depicts the anger and resentment of the people against the unjustified policies of the government. It is a democratic tool to raise the voice of the concerned section.
Q. In case if trade unions were too much concerned about workers salary, inflation etc than why did it had to call for bandh now and not in 10 years when UPA is in rule. Asked by: Arvind
A. The trade unions are regularly raising their voice since a long time and many times the government has accepted the demands but were never executed.
Q. Assocham has estimated loss of nearly 30000 crores due to bandh do you feel when govt is facing fiscal difficulties, it will burden common man with further inflation thus defeating the purpose of bandh. Asked by: Arvind
A. We are assessing the loss due to Bandh but what about the future of the crores of labourers in the Country who have been deprived of their legitimate earnings due to wrong policies of the Government. Why the Prime Minister constituted the four member Ministerial Committee just before the day of strike though the notice of the strike was given much before of the rally.
Q. Do you feel that Trade unions demand are going to take country back to times of communist and it will adversely effect foreign investment as workers union of auto companies have also joined strike in Gurgaon? Asked by: Manav
A. This kind of thinking is not a valid arguments these days when the democratic set up in the Country has its deep roots and regarding foreign investment..at the first we have to analyse as to whether we really require foreign investment and if so what are the core areas of foreign investment and what result the Country will yield. Any hectic decision is detrimental to the economy of the Country.
Q. Do you feel that bandh call can serve purpose when govt is involved in too many scams and defending itself from them that it has hardly time to consider union's demand? Asked by: Shailesh
A. Scam has nothing to do with Bandh. The issue is what are the steps taken by the Government to deal with the scams. The issues raised by the trade unions are entirely different and has to be dealt in a separate manner.
Q. Why is workers union weak in comparison to unions of Govt employees, corporates etc as they are able to get their salaries and perks raised by setting up commissions or by lobbying? Asked by: Manush
A. The workers unions are self dependent unions and earn their revenue from their constituents. They might be weak in finance but they are more stronger in force.
Q. Why is it that managerial staff of the corporates is able to get the best of liberalisation while the workers are neglected lot by working overtime thus displaying worst form of capitalism in modern times in India? Asked by: Ravi
A. The corporate derives large, maximum and unqualified financial and other supports from the Government. Reduction in duty and taxes, SEZs and all other such modes enable them to earn large profit and therefore can able to pay their staff well and thus encouraging capitalism.
Q. What will be the next step of Trade unions as after two days of strike things will be back to normal for Govt and policymakers and they will be raising prices of power, food, water on one pretext or the other? Asked by: Manush
A. The lethargic attitude of the government will compel the trade unions to draw their strategy in a new form to impress upon the government to consider the demands in a systematic manner and it is suggested that a Joint Working Group of Senior Officials of the Government and the representatives of trade unions be constituted with a time bound mandate to study the issues in depth.
Q. why does not the opposition publish its vision document, rather than looking for the governments mistakes? Asked by: S ESHWAR
A. Yes, not only the opposition but all political parties should declare their vision with regard to different issues concerning economy.
Q. Don't you think the public is only angry with the congress? It is also angry with the opposition, they too don't have a plan a vision, they are only thriving on the mistakes of present government. Asked by: S ESHWAR
A. Of course, the public has anger against the Congress and therefore the political parties should ponder over the issue and evolve a strategy to come out with a viable alternative.
Q. Do you think there must be a law against people who forcefully make people do stop their work? Asked by: rajkumar
A. Not the law but a code should be evolved to enable the people to raise their voice in a democratic manner.
Q. Do you feel that UPA in itself is hostile to unions and workers demand or their are fiscal constraints due to which it is not able to meet its demand fully? Asked by: Sanjay
A. The UPA has failed on all counts and therefore it has no vision to deal with the alarming issues.
Q. Calling any bandh is against aam aadmi? the daily wagerer loose a days earnings? Asked by: prathap
A. The strike are always against the unjustified policies of the Government and it is for the Government to ensure that reasonable policies should be framed so that each citizen of the Country must get its daily wages in a better manner.
Q. It is joke that employees drawing lakhs of rupees salary in banks insurance etc striking work? They also call themselves aam admi? It is shame. Asked by: prathap
A. It is not the question of the drawing salary but the issue of depicting solidarity with the workers and it has been well communicated to the Government and the people.
Q. These union leaders go by flight and stop the ordinary buses? Asked by: prathap
A. Using the flight is an option for fastest communication. What do you call the politicians the corporate who use Charter Flights.
Q. One principal opposition party came to power on the agenda of building the temple, people trusted them and gave the mandate, what happened? Asked by: S ESHWAR
A. The said party lost the election in the next election which followed after their regime. Its People's power in democracy.
Q. These union leaders in Bank and insurance companies, only request to the management would be to pay salary without doing any regular work? Asked by: prathap
A. This is against all service ethics.
Q. Can you show me a bandh by which aam admi benefited? I was closely associated with unions? Asked by: prathap
A. The bandh is always hold to raise voice against certain actions, policies of the Government or the people sitting at the helm of affairs and in many cases the outcome of the bandh results into benefits to Aam Aadmi as well.
Q. Price rise is also partly due to rise in production cost.. labour wages have gone up sky rocketing and even partly due to rise in fuel price. shouldn't the political parties sit together and sort out a solution by getting audits of petroleum companies and agricultural class? Asked by: Sathyaki
A. A valid suggestion needs to be taken cognizance of by the Government and the polity
Q. Price of essential commodities go up even due to middlemen. When govt tried to reduce their activities by bringing FDI it was these parties who opposed the govt move.. in such situation is there any credibility behind the motive of these strikes? Asked by: Sathyaki
A. Who is the middleman needs to be defined. The global retailers are the biggest middleman over the globe as they do not have any manufacturing and procure the products from one end sell it to end consumer thus controlling the backend and front end of the supply chain which is more detrimental to the interest of economy. What is the percentage of taxes govt takes in the chain.
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