It appears possible that the "sealing" drive is part of a conspiracy hatched by big players in the retail business, like Bharti Enterprises, Reliance Industries, and the foreign giant Wal-Mart. Significant is the development that Wal-Mart is all set "to Open Hundreds of Stores in India", "together with Bharti Enterprises". This has been reported as a major news item in New York Times, which has not failed to take special note of the "sealing drive": [quote]Recently, a court-ordered shutdown of more than 30,000 small shops that operate illegally in New Delhis residential neighborhoods met with violent protests. // Yet small steps are being made toward change. In January, the government allowed international companies to set up single-brand retail chains and hold up to a 51 percent stake. // Last month, the largest private-sector Indian company, the petrochemical giant Reliance Industries, opened the first of 5,500 planned retail stores, in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad." The "sealing" will drive out the small traders and greatly facilitate take-over of retail business by the big players. Apart from the small traders, the common man will also suffer.
I guess according to Sibal's argument, it would also be OK for brothels, illegal gambling dens and illicit-drug parlors to be allowed in these areas as they would be 'providing livlihood' to it's many owners. When govts flout their own laws by refusing to enforce them, and worse, by recognizing the offenders as 'authorized', they encourage and reinforce criminal behavior and disrespect for the law, leading to chaos and anarchy. A cursory look will show that many netas and also big-wig babus and their cronies are among the offenders - hence their virulent tirades against the sealing drive.
