"If you do not expect the
unexpected you will not find it, for it is not to be reached by search or
trail."
—Heraclitus (Greek, 544-483BC)
Word for the day
Wont (n)
Custom; habit; practice.
(Source: Dictionary.com)
Ignoring strengths to focus on weakness
Trading has been one of the primary strength of famous Indian
enterprise. Traditionally Indian have been very successful in trading their
skills, knowledge, labor, resources, and produce - earlier for gold & other luxuries, then
for British patronage & privileges, and later for technology, oil, USD,
chocolates, watches, cosmetics, and other pursuits of better quality of life.
Manufacturing has not been a particular strength of Indian
economy, outside cottage industry. I may not be entirely wrong in stating that
success in pharma and automobile manufacturing using indigenous technology
& skills is mostly an extension of cottage industry. Before you point it
out to me, the Indian textile has mostly been a low value add conversion and
job work industry. Post independence we have mostly followed the colonial
model, except that we set up factories locally to trade low skill but cheap
labor.
With this background, I would like to share my observations made
during the visit to some major whole sale markets in and around Delhi last
week.
Delhi-6
The area comprised within and around the Pin Code 110006 in the
capital city of Delhi is one of the largest trading hubs in the country. Sadar
Bazar (Plastics, chemicals, households items), Naya Bazar (Food grains), Khari
Baoli (Pulses, Spices, Dry Fruits, oils etc.), Chandni Chowk (Textile, Paper
& Hardware), Pahar Ganj (Timber), Kashmiri Gate (auto parts) and Darya Ganj
(Medicine, printing, publishing) are prominent trading areas. Azadpur, largest
wholesale market for fruits & vegetable lies 12miles north of Delhi-6.
A three hour trip to Sadar Bazar was sufficient to know precisely
where the current policy making is lacking - "the policymakers care least
for the strength of our economy and overly focus on weaknesses."
The total apathy of administration to the business of trading was
truly appalling.
·
There was no space to walk. Buyers have to
struggle with handcarts, bullock carts, auto rickshaws, cycle rickshaws,
coolies carrying huge and wide loads on their heads, loose electricity wires
dangling ominously, and other perils like stray cows and dogs.
·
I did not witness any security apparatus for a
market which trades billions worth of goods every day. There is no way a fire
tender could reach in time to the market, should any unfortunate event happen.
·
There is no public toilet for thousands of
traders who work there and buyers who frequent there regularly. A long queue of
people relieving themselves was seen right in the middle of the crowded market.
·
The narrow street leading to the market was
mostly blocked by vehicles parked in an unauthorized manner. The nearest car
park is located in a dump yard two miles away from the main market. There is no
public transport available for the market.
Still worst, the administration of the city has NO respect
whatsoever for the traders which are critical part of the supply chain that
forms backbone of Indian economy. On their part, a large number of traders may
be non-compliant....to continue on Tuesday, 06 October.
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