A nationwide strike - Weeping at your own cost

Off late, UPA government has been busy in boasting on its achievements of economical reforms, the healthy GDP and liberalized trade policies while ignoring the burning issues of laymen of whose the pocket is pinched severely to survive in this dear economy.

India is one of a few countries that has registered a double digit food price inflation in 2009 and prices of essential commodities are skyrocketing. Government has been unable to curb the soaring price of basic commodities and the Petroleum Ministry decided to gift another jitter to Indians by increasing prices of Petrol, Diesel and LPG excusing on increasing prices of Crude Oil internationally. Whereas I don't see any correlation in their excuse because Crude Oil is traveling at around $75 per barrel and with that international price, it seems no point in increasing. Surprisingly, government has been claiming that they are under the burden of huge subsidy which has been in existence over the years but do not disclose to the public that how much they are making by direct and indirect taxes that are imposed on petroleum and natural gas products. What is wrong if they were to reduce their taxes on these products and adjust the affordable pricing?

Congress Government has been fooling this nation since independence. Be it a Kashmir issue, be it a growth of country, be it a coward policies to tackle Naxalites , be it a weak administration to handle and control terrorism, etc. The prices of primary food articles increased by 16.5%, pulses grew by a killing 32.4%, eggs, meat and fish by 35% milk by 21%, sugar by 26%, flour by 16%, cereals by 6% and fruits and vegetables by 7.6%. It looks that Government is yet not convinced with this inflation and wish to burden more on civilians by increasing prices of petroleum products.

What is very much hilarious in this matter? The Petroleum Ministry published an advert in Times of India last week comparing prices of these in India with Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. On the one hand, government makes the people and world feel that they are progressing and outperforming in compare with its neighboring countries and on the other hand, they are helpless to fall in line with them for certain things. Gosh!

It is a shame that the country has nearly 50% population under poverty line and have to intentionally or unintentionally involve ourselves in to a nationwide strike that has made a one day loss of millions in dollars.