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NT Bureau
Chennai, Feb 22:

        The ultimatum of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder leader Ramadoss to Reliance Fresh 'to close shops within a month' has surprised some and puzzled many and has led to consumers wondering the rationale behind the move.

        Reliance Fresh, the retail chain division of Reliance Industries of India, headed by Mukesh Ambani has opened 12 retail stores in Chennai only last month and the company now operates 40 outlets nationwide including the ones in Hyderabad and Jaipur. Most of these shops have been welcomed by the consumers and have seen huge crowds.

        Obviously this must have hit the local shops, generically called nadar kadais.

        The PMK founder now says that the entry of big corporates and multinational companies into the retail trade sector will hit hard the small vendors and traders. He also feels that small retail traders will ultimately be wiped out of their business because of the entry of big companies.

        'Reliance should shut down its business within a month. Else, we would resort to direct action,' Ramadoss warned yesterday quite seriously while participating in a party organised protest against the entry of corporates into the retail trade.

        News Today contacted people from different walks of life to elicit their views on the stand of the PMK leader.

        Sangeetha Ramesh, a resident of Ashok Nagar, wanted to know why she should be deprived of a good retailer. 'The quality is good. Ambience is excellent. Vegetables are fresh and more than that, I get it at a good rate,' Sangeetha said and added that she does not mind who sells what but should get goods at an affordable price.

        Moreover, she says there is transparency in the operations of big retialers while most of the small shops shortchange you (in qulaity and quantity).

        V M Ramanathan, a retired senior banking official, 'We cannot stop anyone. In a free market economy, it is the consumers and producers or sellers, who decide in keeping with the market trends and requirements.'

        S Venkatesan, an advocate, opined that nothing could be legally done to send Reliance packing. 'We started our journey towards market economy some 17 years ago. Its irrevocable.'

        Vivek Shetty, a city based marketing consultant felt the PMK had overreacted. 'Even if Reliance is to come up with 200 more such outlets, it would not be able to kill the street corner vegetable trader,' Shetty said and added that the market was too big to be taken away by Reliance.

        Muthukumaran, a vegetable vendor of Ashok Nagar, wholeheartedly thanked the PMK leader for his initiative and said corporates should be kept out of the sector.

        Narayanan, another vendor, however, said he was confident of retaining and even expanding his customer base, even if many others were to come.

        'Reliance cannot give that personal touch. I know the needs of my customers and cater to their requirements. None can take away my USP and business from me.'

        When asked about the stand of the PMK, a senior leader of the AIADMK said it was a political stunt. The AIADMK official said this was designed to garner the votes of small traders and more importantly the votes of the Nadar community as a significant section of traders are Nadars.

        'They share power at the Centre. Their ally rules here. If they were serious, they would have pulled out of the Union government by now,' the AIADMK functionary said and added that the PMK would not go beyond staging street smart political gimmicks. 'It is political hypocrisy'.

        A senior TNCC leader on condition of anonymity said the 'Out Reliance' campaign had its roots elsewhere. When the PMK topbrass wanted a big election donation for the last Parliamentary campaign, the Reliance brothers did not oblige. 'They give only to national parties,' the Congress leader said and added that Ramadoss took this as an affront and from then on, he was waiting for an opportunity to show the strength of the party.

        The reliance outlets which are now in the eye of a storm, have an area of 1,200 to 3,500 square feet each. A variety of food items, including fresh fruits and vegetables, staples, groceries, dairy products and processed foods are available.