Santa, please give us onions!

If Sharad Pawar had his way, he would lead us to believe that it were a sheer waste of time moaning and shedding tears over onions.

So what if they cost Rs80 or more? Shell out a few shillings more, or better still, stop eating them till prices plummet. Ditto for tomatoes, garlic, sugar, milk, eggs, veggies…

Blame the goddamn unseasonal rains for the mess. Pawar avows he is no “astrologer” (as he did in case of sugar) to predict when prices would come down.

Yes, Mr Pawar, you are right there. Instead of depending on inept ministers like you, the common man would rather go to astrologers now for respite.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 may be more important to you, sir.
This column is no political platform and this is no Pawar-bashing.

You know, it amazes me no end how we have been grated to submission by our rulers whose espousal of the needs of aam aadmi has left us in tears — little or no water for many Mumbaikars, severe fluctuations in the eight-hour electricity each suburb gets, roads in between various potholes, and now, food — yes, literally, if prices of food continue to rise, we would soon have to make do on water and air (that they too are polluted is another story).

Basics, for God’s sake, BASICS. We are talking about food as basic as onions potatoes and tomatoes. Will Mumbaikars have to forgo even a staple diet like batata wada whose indispensable ingredient is onion?

These nitwits can’t ensure us our staple diet and then shamelessly talk about alleviating our woes! And what about some of the torchbearers of Mumbai pride? Where is their vociferousness gone in protesting against such gross mismanagement in food economy?

Isn’t a human imperative as basic as hunger part of collective pride? Where is the moral brigade that always raids, smashes railway hoardings and municipal buses when something goes wrong with the Mumbaikar?

Do you want we poor Mumbaikars to tell you who is hoarding the basic vegetable called onion?

Let’s stop blaming rain god and speculative hoarding for every conceivable food crisis. If we know an exigency could arise in the near future, let’s take preventive measures.

How could we ridiculously continue exporting onions to Pakistan until some time ago and then import them at double the price now after calamity struck? Let’s display some foresight.

Our farm-to-fork supply chain is poorly integrated and short on facilities. Organised retail expansion, storage and distribution are needs of the hour. Enough.

Our patience has been tested for long. It’s time Mumbaikars protested against such rulers-induced crisis. Today being Christmas we poor Mumbaikars have a chance to ask Santa Claus for a favour — onions for the whole year!