Chacha's "New Deal"... And Mine

There is a news report here that says Chacha Manmohan has announced a “new deal” for urban street vendors. Actually, a decade ago, prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee too made such noises. But nothing happened.

Why?

Take a look at the situation on the ground:

About a week ago, I was surprised to see that my neighbourhood tea stall, which operates from a pavement, was closed. Suspecting the worst, I looked around for the stall owner, Raju, and, when I found him, inquired as to why he had shut shop.

He said it was the police.

Why? I asked.

Apparently, the reason given was “security.” Independence Day was approaching and the tea shop must therefore close down, two weeks prior to the day.

Gross misuse of power.

I told Raju a tale from my student days in London:

It was a bright sunny day and I decided to take a walk along the Thames. Classes were in the evening. After walking a fair distance, I chanced upon a pub on the waterfront. A nasty thirst had developed by then, so I stepped in for one small beer – all that a poor Indian student could afford. However, luck was quite a lady that morning. Seeing me approach, the publican pulled a big mug of beer and handed it to me, saying, “This one is on the house.”

I said thank you, took a big gulp and then politely asked what the occasion was. The reply: “It is the Queen Mum’s birthday.”

I raised a toast to the Queen Mum's health.

And then I thought to myself: in India, on any great leader’s birthday, or any “national day,” our The State invariably declares a “dry day.” Whereas in England, the people actually “celebrate.”

Independence Day, the day of Freedom, should be a huge mela. Instead, it means tyranny.

It is indeed tyranny that forces business closures on flimsy pretexts. Raju’s tea shop has been closed for many days now. The last time I met him he showed me all his official “papers” – from his “tehbazari license” to a host of other documents, all carefully preserved in plastic covers.

All these official papers – to no effect.

Yet, the fact remains that very few street-level businessmen actually possess such papers. They are routinely harassed, beaten, robbed and worse.

There is only one solution to this: All markets, all pavements, and all parks must be free for all hawkers and vendors.

Further, the State police should be ordered to keep off the markets. All markets should engage private security and conduct their own affairs.

The police should be instructed to leave the "good guys" making money alone - and focus on the bad guys. No predation.

New Deal.

We call it Liberty!