If we had been happy with what had been happening in this nation for 'thousands of years' we would not have been talking of reforms of any type.....
Let's understand in last 25 years particularly ( perhaps dues to shift in politics) the dishonesty in retail has gone many many folds up. We never heard urea in milk and coloring of vegetable with poison. Middlemen never used to enjoy so much of vulgar margins as they do now. Reason has been that their political support has started gaining over this period providing them increased immunity.
Today if Govt. increases petrol price by one rupee, trading class responds by inflating prices by 10-20 rupees immediately !! Now their political masters are highlighting convenience of neighborhood stores as main reason why these traders be given preference.
Shall we continue with them simply because they give us CONVENIENCE of getting cheated at doorstep !!
No one wants them out but only be tamed to improve services and limit dishonesty. In fact if you look at markets near malls ( in my street there are not one THREE malls now), retail business has gone up at least 20 times since ( I see it every day how crowded the neighbourhood bazaar has turned).
