NEW DELHI: A new debate has been triggered in Indian politics, whether street-vendors preparing and selling "pakodas," a popular snack made by dipping potato slices, onions and bread pieces in gram-flour paste and deep-frying, should be considered as employed.
It all started with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent averment in a TV interview. Referring to his government's popular loan scheme - Prime Minister Mudra Yojana, Modi claimed that the scheme had resulted in giving employment to youths.
Under the scheme, small loans to the tune of 1,500-3,000 U.S. dollars are extended to those belonging to lower castes for small start-ups to earn a living.
"The small-time street vendors selling pakodas by the roadside earn around 200 Indian rupees (3.1 U.S. dollars) a day. Should this not come under employment generation," said the prime minister.
He further stated that under the loan scheme, 100 million people have been given loans amounting to 4 trillion rupees since the scheme was implemented by his government. Out of these, 30 million people are first timers who have started earning a living by taking up activities like selling tea, pakodas, newspapers, among others.
"Hasn't all this contributed to creating employment ... should this be counted as employment or not," he asked.
Strongly criticising the prime minister's averment, the main opposition party Indian National Congress (INC) equated the petty job of selling pakodas by the roadside to begging. Coming down heavily on Modi, Congressman and former finance minister Palaniappan Chidambaram tweeted: "Even selling pakodas is a job, said PM. By that logic, even begging is a job. Let's count poor or disabled persons who are forced to beg for a living as employed people."
Taking a strong exception to the Congress' bid to equate the pakoda sellers to beggars, president of the main ruling party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Amit Shah said it was shameful on the part of the opposition party to put both the activities on the same footing.