As published in Free Press Journal dated 20/01/2011(Letter to Editor)
I would like to share my deep despair and disillusionment from the present government on the issue of containing inflation. Everyone knows that the topmost reason for soaring prices of food items in the last few years is the mismanagement, inefficiency and ill conceived policies of the very Agriculture, food and distribution minister of this country Shri Sharad Pawar, who still enjoys the support and confidence of our Prime minister. When he confronts supreme court, Prime minister supports him by advising judiciary to stay in its limits. He dares to refuse the NAC's (Headed by Smt. Sonia Gandhi) recommendations, PM panel and cabinet endorse this. He is unwilling to deliver and has enough experience to find excuses for the same. His every statement and reaction fuels the inflation and benefits the vested interests.
Now let us look beyond the Sharad Pawar factor. The Government is not helpless, but surely it does not want to help. The current situation is the clear outcome of its policies over the years. Our economist Prime minister and sovereign Finance minister are so obsessed with Growth rate figure that woes of the poor and middle class is not visible to them. On this issue, even the soniaji's caution that "Growth rate is not everything" is ignored and sympathetic concerns of ex Finance Minister P.Chidambaram remains unheard. Government has tied the hands of RBI in taking effective steps to curb inflation, by putting the condition of not impacting economy growth. Globalization is fine but it is cruel capitalism, which will further broaden the rich-poor divide and will make the country fertile for naxalist kind of movements. The poor and middle class of this country are feeling like orphans today with their Prime minister in turn asks people to suggest ways to control it, Home minister observes that there is no mechanism in place and finance ministry boasts that it is a routine economics with increased income level and improved consumption pattern of people. I remember, few years back , when food crisis gripped america, they blamed asians and third world counties to consume more food than required, now our own government says that people's consumption pattern is responsible for inflation, among other factors. So dear janata, don't complaint , you only are to blame for this. When private airlines increases their fare, it affect the riches , so government puts all kinds of pressure on them to fall in line but for poor janata they have no methods to adopt.
Our inflation index is based on wholesale prices which gives a moderate picture than real consumer index. Thus the ground reality is far more serious than what it appears in statistics. The consumer market is in chaos. There is no justified corelation between wholesale prices we read in newspaper and the retail outburst slammed to the consumer. Everyone in the market is charging at his will with no checks and control. From subjiwala to autowala and general shopkeeper, there is a race in the market to increase the rate in the name of inflation, which is showing a cascading effect across the prices of commodities. Common man is helpless and has no body to turn to. Government is enjoying its second term in office and has no immediate need of people's votes. Opposition has no intellectual credibility with people or constructive pressure on the government except for some short term resistance to issues of lesser importance. Let us hope that better sense will prevail and government will come over of its growth rate obsession , before it is too late.
Bharat Sharma
at Bargad Aashram Ujjain
Date 20/01/2011
I would like to share my deep despair and disillusionment from the present government on the issue of containing inflation. Everyone knows that the topmost reason for soaring prices of food items in the last few years is the mismanagement, inefficiency and ill conceived policies of the very Agriculture, food and distribution minister of this country Shri Sharad Pawar, who still enjoys the support and confidence of our Prime minister. When he confronts supreme court, Prime minister supports him by advising judiciary to stay in its limits. He dares to refuse the NAC's (Headed by Smt. Sonia Gandhi) recommendations, PM panel and cabinet endorse this. He is unwilling to deliver and has enough experience to find excuses for the same. His every statement and reaction fuels the inflation and benefits the vested interests.
Now let us look beyond the Sharad Pawar factor. The Government is not helpless, but surely it does not want to help. The current situation is the clear outcome of its policies over the years. Our economist Prime minister and sovereign Finance minister are so obsessed with Growth rate figure that woes of the poor and middle class is not visible to them. On this issue, even the soniaji's caution that "Growth rate is not everything" is ignored and sympathetic concerns of ex Finance Minister P.Chidambaram remains unheard. Government has tied the hands of RBI in taking effective steps to curb inflation, by putting the condition of not impacting economy growth. Globalization is fine but it is cruel capitalism, which will further broaden the rich-poor divide and will make the country fertile for naxalist kind of movements. The poor and middle class of this country are feeling like orphans today with their Prime minister in turn asks people to suggest ways to control it, Home minister observes that there is no mechanism in place and finance ministry boasts that it is a routine economics with increased income level and improved consumption pattern of people. I remember, few years back , when food crisis gripped america, they blamed asians and third world counties to consume more food than required, now our own government says that people's consumption pattern is responsible for inflation, among other factors. So dear janata, don't complaint , you only are to blame for this. When private airlines increases their fare, it affect the riches , so government puts all kinds of pressure on them to fall in line but for poor janata they have no methods to adopt.
Our inflation index is based on wholesale prices which gives a moderate picture than real consumer index. Thus the ground reality is far more serious than what it appears in statistics. The consumer market is in chaos. There is no justified corelation between wholesale prices we read in newspaper and the retail outburst slammed to the consumer. Everyone in the market is charging at his will with no checks and control. From subjiwala to autowala and general shopkeeper, there is a race in the market to increase the rate in the name of inflation, which is showing a cascading effect across the prices of commodities. Common man is helpless and has no body to turn to. Government is enjoying its second term in office and has no immediate need of people's votes. Opposition has no intellectual credibility with people or constructive pressure on the government except for some short term resistance to issues of lesser importance. Let us hope that better sense will prevail and government will come over of its growth rate obsession , before it is too late.
Bharat Sharma
at Bargad Aashram Ujjain
Date 20/01/2011
