The Canadian Parvasi - Issue 28

The International News Weekly EDIT
08
January 12, 2018 | Toronto
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Walmart in India?
Much was expected of Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi that his advent
will speed up economic reforms, but nothing
great really happened during these past three
years. Many blame his finance minister Arun
Jaitley, whom Modi trusts a little too much, for
the tardy reforms.
Not only the slow reforms, but also the
demonetization and GST slowed down the
growth trajectory of the Indian economy.
Modi has been accused of being gimmicky,
nothing more.
But at last there is some very good news.
The Indian government has decided to allow
100 percent foreign direct investment (FDI)
in single brand retail trading (SBRT) through
automatic route. All that these foreign players
have to do is source 30 percent of their goods
from India.
In a nutshell, single brand retail trading
means that businesses can only sell their good
under the single brand - just like IKEA or Nike
sell their goods under their single brand name.
Since Walmart is a multi-brand retailer as it
sells goods sourced from various brands, it
will have to wait to enter India on its own.
Though Indian traders are up in arms, this
is a very good decision as it will bring much
needed FDI into the country and offer choice
for foreign-crazy Indian consumers.
This will also increase the ease of doing
business in India which has for decades been
bogged down by the so-called inspector raj. In
fact, India has already jumped by 30 places in
the ease of doing business, as per the World
Bank. The latest FDI decision will further
boost the confidence of investors.
Moreover, the decision to allow 100% FDI
in single brand retail will logically lead to 100%
FDI in multi brand retail which will pave the
way for the entry of Walmarts and other global
giants into India. That day is not far off.
Thought for the week
Those who call me God, will fall into the deep pit
of hell. Regard me as one of his slaves and have
no doubt whatever about it. I am a servant of
the Supreme Being; and have come to behold the
wonderful drama of life.
~Guru Gobind Singh
Why Indian diaspora is moving
towards showmanship
Brig Nawab Heer and
Ms Preet Heer
Since 1976, I have
been visiting regularly
some of our family members
settled in North
America.
During my initial
visits, what I liked most
was that they would very
proudly compare life and
values back in India with
the values being followed
in North America. I do
remember many positive
comments about values
being followed in North
America and that time
we really used to cherish
those observations.
Some of these comments
were: in the US
and Canada there is a
dignity of labour and no
one cares what work you
do and in the evening
even garbage collecting
person can afford to go
to same restaurant. So
there is a dignity of labour
here as compared to
India, where we discriminate
on the basis of what
job you do.
Second, they would
say that no one cares
what car you drive in so
long as you have a car to
reach your work. Third,
they would comment that
no one cares what home
you live in so long as you
have a house. Four, political
leaders here drive
their own cars, and anyone
can meet them at any
time. Five, most white
people are truthful. Lastly,
churches stay aloof
from politics and their
preaching is limited to
Sunday for a few hours.
Each time my brothers
visited me in India
they would point out
how foolishly Indian
people were conscious
of what their social status
- house, car, etc - and
how they ran after politicians.
Finally, when we
also migrated to North
America in 2011, the composition
of the Indian diaspora
had undergone
a major change. Many
places - NY, NJ, California,
Washington ,Toronto,
Vancouver, Calgary,
Abbotsford, Surrey and
other cities - had established
big pockets of Indians.
Here I got a chance
to live in these cities.
I will quote my friend
and famous TV and
radio anchor Satpaul
Johal: `Brampton nu
Brampton hee rahen
devo, Punjab naa bana
devo”. But, Johal Sahib
it is too late to reverse it.
My point is that when
I came to NY and Toronto,
I found the Punjabi
Diaspora had changed.
The same persons who
used to say that it does
not matter what car one
drives, were now busy
showing off their brand
new Mercedes. Buying a
bigger and bigger house
became a joke ,even one
play group played as drama
on the theme,’Whadda
Ghar’,so much so one
transporter even constructed
,a house with
25 bed rooms for the family
of four; possibly not
for living comfortably
but ,for showing off and
showing others that they
were inferior. Newly
elected Politicians also
adapted mirror image of
politicians back in Punjab,
with many followers
moving with them
like Dons, not available
for common man to meet
them, moving from one
function to other like
demi God’s posing for
photo shoots and given
a chance exploited their
positions for personal
gains. You try and call
any politicians office to
fix an appointment, you
will be surprised that
system will take you to
on the garden path.
Marriages have become
PR exercises, big
fat weddings leaving no
chance to tell others in
community that so and
so family held their marriage
party in filthy rich
style has become a brand
name of the community.
Less we talk about
our places of religion in
changing scenarios, all
of these including Mandir,
Masjids and Gurudwaras
if we compare
with churches we will
realise where are were
heading to.
Our places of worship
are becoming more
loud,vocal,showing off,
with management having
posh offices, corporate
chairs, conference
halls, big cars, separate
parking and may be after
sometimes they will
demand red beacons for
their cars of Presidents
of places of religion. As
such since most places of
religions are registered
as Corporations, most
Management are running
these as profit making
corporations already
less of non-profit place of
religion. We have commenced
mixing church
with politics. Our Media
lords have become another
power brokering
centres for both politics
of India and politics of
Canada.
Most of the so-called
social, charity organisations,
and non-profits are
keeping their work limited
to photo-shoots and
write-up in local papers
and submitting all exaggerated
reports to government
offices for gaining
more funds under
the name of social work.
Sometimes, I feel that we
have not left any stone
unturned to see that we
create a real mirror image
of unwanted culture
which we left behind few
decades back in India.
"The point I am making is that we
the Indian Diaspora has become so
hypocrites that the white man’s
culture of truth,simplicity and no
showmanship which we used to admire
when we initially migrated, we now
flouting all those values and indulge in
unwarranted showmanship''
"Each time my brothers visited me
in India they would point out how
foolishly Indian people were conscious
of what their social status - house,
car, etc - and how they ran after
politicians''
The point I am making
is that we the Indian
Diaspora has become
so hypocrites that the
white man’s culture of
truth,simplicity and no
showmanship which we
used to admire when we
initially migrated, we
now flouting all those
values and indulge in unwarranted
showmanship.
We are even confusing
our second and third generation
children about
what is right and what is
wrong.
The positive thing is
that most of the second
and third generations
are shunning this neoculture.
Sometimes I feel
that having worked hard,
earned dollars, having
made successes and now
we are looking forward to
recognition only amongst
own community.
There is nothing
against this thought, but
rather than getting into
gaudy materialistic show
off, we can get to true
charity work to get real
recognition.I wonder if
anyone is listening. With
the trend of showmanship,
a stage has come
that if someone from the
community does not conform
to your thinking we
try to impose our thinking
on him/her. Imagine
if someone wants to take
a just a walk to the store
instead of taking his car,
he will be asked, Where is
your car? Unfortunately,
it does not end there.
It means that your
self-image is being determined
by somebody
else for you. The aim of
this write-up is that we
must become conscious
of this unwarranted trend
and rather do something
with pure heart for the
deprived in society. This
will earn us the kind of
respect we have gained in
the fields of politics from
white people.
(Brig Nawab Heer
can be contacted at
nawabheer@gmail.com)
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