Post MBA exam results, Group Discussion will be crucial for MBA admission so it is advised to read and practice with variety of topics. In following GD topic you will be getting some points with divergent views which you can pick up and develop. Today, you will read GD topic:
"Vote bank politics flourishes hawkers on Indian roads"
Vote bank politics has been an integral part of the Indian political system for decades. Vote bank politics is all about creating and maintaining a group of voters from a community, be it from the same caste, religion or class, to vote for a particular political party or a candidate. And this is done through divisive policies.
One such policy is the Street Vendors Bill 2012, which protects the livelihood of street hawkers in India. Two amendments will be made to this bill in the Parliament in the ongoing budget session. One of the amendments will be increasing the percentage of hawkers in a city to 2.5 percent. Another amendment is with regard to the representation of hawkers in the Town Vending Committee – an increase from four percent to 40 percent.
These major amendments will change the lives of hawkers on Indian roads. According to Ajay Maken, Union Minister for housing and urban poverty alleviation, there will be an increase in the number of hawkers in every city.
In Mumbai alone, there will be a total of 3.12 lakh hawkers, an increase in the number by 47,000. So, vote bank politics has once again worked its way through the Indian political system by having policies which specifically favor hawkers. However, the government claims that these amendments are being carried out on humanitarian grounds and have nothing to do with vote bank politics. Only time will tell if the government is really concerned about the livelihood of hawkers or if it is planning to entice hawkers before the next elections.
With the latest amendments, hawkers will be able to sell their products on streets with minimal restrictions, and will not be harassed by municipal authorities as long as they stick to the vending zones assigned to them.
India has always been a country of contradictions. And before elections, the government tries ways and means to get the public on its side. In addition, licensed hawkers will be a part of the new rehabilitation scheme implemented by the government to remove hawkers from busy roads and relocate them to places near their homes.
With so many benefits for hawkers on Indian roads, one can’t help but wonder if what the government passes in the parliament will really be implemented on Indian grounds? The latest Union Budget came with many benefits for lower classes in India and this is an addition to that list. So, one can safely say that vote bank politics in India is here to stay.