Perspectives on declining inflation rates and Kashmir issue

The deadly cocktail of imposing greater economic burdens on the people, on one hand, and sharpening communal polarisation, on the other, continues to be intensified under this Modi-led NDA government. Much is being made about a fleeting decline in the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), which shows that the annual rate of inflation, based on the monthly WPI stood at 2.38 percent in September 2014 compared to 3.74 percent in the previous month and 7.05 percent during the corresponding month of the previous year.

The elementary fact is that what matters to the common man’s daily existence is the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is always exponentially higher than the WPI. Anybody who visits markets regularly will confirm that essential commodity prices continue to rise, imposing further burdens on their quality of life. Further, the concept of the inflation rate must be understood. A fall in the inflation rate does not mean a fall in prices. What it means is that the rate of rise in prices is lower than what it was. Prices are nevertheless rising. This elementary economics seems to have escaped the government ministers and spokesmen who are being ably cheered by the India Inc.
These statistics coincide with an unprecedented decline in international oil prices thus easing the pressures on India by lowering our import costs. Many have pointed out that this sharp decline in international oil prices is an engineered one aimed at squeezing Russia—a major oil exporter—to  pressure it to withdraw from its intervention in Ukraine in defence of the besieged common people there. USA and Europe seek to break Ukraine from Russia’s dependence and utilise its vast natural resources to bolster their staggering economies by incorporating it into the European Union.

—People’s Democracy

On the one hand, when a movie like Haider is facing the wrath of public opinion for alleged sympathy with separatists and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) while castigating the Indian armed forces, Pakistan is using its old technique of raking up the ‘K’ word to address domestic issues. Both internal and external elements that have used ‘K’ for currency miss the fact that the dynamics of J&K have also changed with changing India. Using liberal forms of art to devaluate Indian position is not new. All intellectuals and artists of ‘secular brigade’ conveniently established the ‘K’ word in the name of creativity and ‘human rights’. They also suitably neglected the fact that before K there is J (Jammu) and without L (Leh and Ladakh) J&K is not complete. But the whole Nehruvian construct of ‘K’ as the secular crown of India, being a Muslim majority state, was based on the same premise. Talking of rights and promoting separatism and neglecting the rights of J and L have for long meant business for many factions. The changing discourse on J&K where ‘governance’ acquired centre  stage, has happened post the 2014 parliamentary election results. The role played by the Armed Forces in flood relief and rescue operations have completely changed the scenario. It has exposed the small faction of separatists who have been speaking on behalf of J&K but have been actually representing small parts of ‘K’. Many in the Valley are realising that misuse and misinterpretation of Article 370, along with cross border terrorism, are the root causes of their miseries. Therefore, it’s time, the separatists as well as their tacit supporters understand that emotionally and financially ‘K’ is no longer a currency.

—Organiser