The common man is getting bull-dozed by the rising prices. The stress and hardship faced by him is almost like an epidemic. He just cannot afford to buy and his purchasing power has almost touched its nadir. Cereals, pulses, grains, oil, vegetables and sugar have all become commodities of ‘the rich’ – items that are only to be dreamt about and left aside.
People are forced to resort to inferior qualities of items. Price of tur dal has crossed Rs100. Pulses and rice, the staple food of millions is turning to be a luxury! How to survive till the next pay-day is the primary question haunting every middle-class family? Price escalation has hit the helpless Indian very badly, promising to make bigger holes in his pocket.
Fluctuation in inflation rate may interest our politicians, and they may scheme to make a quick buck. These factors are haunting the common man. The common man is yearning for the basic requirements of life. He is worried that his basic necessities may soon be transformed into luxuries. One cannot but agree with BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar when he says that it isnot a case of real shortages but one of large-scale hoarding. I feel that farmers and consumers are being exploited and only speculators are benefiting.
The concept of speculation and hoarding needs to be addressed by the authorities. It is essential that restriction on inter-state movement of foodgrains must be done away with, which may ease the situation to some extent.
It is also equally important to establish more number of warehouses. There must be sophisticated technology which can prevent the rotting of foodgrains. The country cannot afford to lose even a single grain. It is for the government to act to in order to bring down the prices of essentials, thereby giving relief to the citizens.
How long can we blame recession and global meltdown? We have to find out some way to come out of the crisis. The rich know how to manage but it is the poor who is always at the receiving end. Poverty leads them to crime. The common man wants a solution to his problems, since his very survival is at stake. Will our political parties pay any heed to the public cry?
— Prem Menon
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