Up … Up… Into the Yonder!
If the prevalent trend of price rise continues, our ordeals are here to stay writes CAETANO DE ABREU
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A funny thing happened to me sometime ago, or rather after the Union Budget was presented in the Parliament by the Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, when I was travelling, as customary, with the usual “Evel Knevels” or the so called motorbike “Pilots” who are synonymous to Goan roads, to purchase a few of my own necessities. After doing all the errands, as I knew the tariff of my vagabonding, when I went to pay for my travelling he said that the rates were not as usual as the new budget has deemed it necessary to increase the fare, which flummoxed me out of my wits for I reasoned that although his bike must have been older than Methuselah and was in urgent need of total overhauling, the end did not justify the means, as such I refused to pay that exorbitant sum which was demanded.
When I arrived home I cogitated about futility of living in this world which we might call it our own where the gravitational sense expresses that whatever goes up must come down which is practically non-existent and the new upgraded terminology should be whatever goes up should stay up and proceed further into that blue yonder and leave us in abject misery.
One may think that the subject of my disgust is the price rise over my vagabonding with “Pilots”, which I partly beg to differ, as the crux matter is the high cost of living which we are entangled with, and seemingly the real culprits the Vendors and the Politicians are roaming scot-free to carry on with their nefarious acts and are least repentant about the malfeasances imposed upon the people who have elected them.
I read somewhere that in this growing crisis of food inflation, the Government is feeling the heat, as in global warming, with the Opposition waiting to pull the rug from under their feet to enable them to assume the reins of power once again. This move will not assuage the plight of aam aadmi, for I certainly know that if the prevalent trend continues our ordeals are here to stay.
It is reported that in the ambit of the common man, the price of rice as on January 2010 is touching Rs. 23 from Rs. 10 as of March 1998; that of wheat Rs. 14.5 from 8 which was reported in 2004; Sugar have gone up to Rs. 47 from Rs. 17 which people used to buy in 2004; Edible oil to Rs. 113 from 86; Pulses to Rs. 88 from 31; Fruits and Vegetables depending from where or from whom you buy, which is nothing cheap, as the price quoted on the spur of the moment is what counts; and as for the fish and other edibles, the sky is the limit with no ceiling implemented to curtail the exorbitant price rise.
With the price rise choking the consumers and with the Opposition crying foul, there has been a poor perception management ranging from fool-hardy statements to still lesser efforts, which are unfathomable when the Indian soil and sub-soil is fertile and all that is required is, consolidated hard-work to overcome the prevailing crisis.
Nevertheless, the prevailing circumstances have left the consumers in a dilemma, the profiteers overjoyed, and the intentions of the Agriculture Minister questionable. Further, the states besides giving lip-service to the wary have done absolutely nothing to prevent hoarding, control panic, nor has it encouraged any farm activities, which is despicable.
There is always the bad news. However, the aam aadmi is braving truculently the imposed circumstances with the knowledge that prices will not fall according to their whims and fancies, as the fundamental malaise is with the agriculture which has been neglected for far too long with modernity ruling our lives with everything at our finger tips least realizing that we the ,4am aadmi are encouraging this factor of satirical circumstances, so how can we blame the price rise? Although the cost of food has gone up tremendously, the arithmetic is equitable which means that the demand for food is greater than the production, and when there is less productivity where will the food be?
It is reported that the Government is always at the mercy of the farmers, who are demanding higher procurement prices without making the least of efforts to enhance productivity and improvise the public distribution system by better supply chain management at the consumer level, which is deplorable as the aam aadmi is paying the price for that foolhardiness.
Nevertheless, there is always a silver lining amongst the dark clouds, as I can discern that there is a great endeavour amongst the private farmers to give impetus to their earnings and simultaneously ease the ordeals of the aam aadmi, which might be said as going back to the roots.
The community-managed sustainable agriculture (CMSA) programme of Andhra Pradesh is low in cost, high on returns, and is billed as the second Green Revolution. The methodology is simplistic as it replaces the usage of chemical pesticides with a combination of physical and biological measures to include eco-friendly bio-pesticides, which are locally available organic materials that does not harm the farmers, do not affect the yield, and do not pollute the environment It is to be noted that amongst the bio-pesticides in use, are extracts of chilies and garlic, neem seeds, cow’s dung and cow’s urine, milk, ghee, fish, jiggery, yoghurt, lime, eggs, custard apples etc. At the outset, the CMSA encourages the tapering of the use of pesticides, however once that it done they do without fertilizers and go completely organic, which is showing grand results. Some of the crops grown under the CMSA are paddy, red gram, groundnut, cotton, jowar, bajra, sunflower, castor, turmeric, chillies, and locally grown vegetables, and has nothing to do with being genetically enhanced. It can be said that in Brinjal the pesticides tend to be ineffective as the borer pest enters the fruit at an early stage and subsequent spraying is only for the outer rim with the pest being smug within. Although there is a great controversy over the Bt., I say let the scientists and Mr. Jairam Ramesh decide about what is good or bad for the human consumption, or rather nothing less and nothing more. As for me, the bone of my contention is the spiralling price rise and we, with our “Derepente” (On a spur of the moment) knowledge are seemingly making no efforts at all to assuage our own plight, so what is left for us in the long run with farmers throughout India creating a resurgence of some sorts and while we, are still grappling in the dark?
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The Morning Raga
By Pachu Menon
As twilight gives way to the amber glow of the sky, the bright red-ball gradually making its majestic ascend to mark the break of dawn, many would have roused from their sleep; some going about attending to their morning ablutions, others greeting the day with thoughts of tackling the onerous tasks ahead.
Milk-booths opening … and closing; bakers pedalling around announcing their presence to colonies yet in slumber; newspaper-boys throwing, or looping, papers and magazines onto doorsteps and into balconies with geometrical precision; ladies with fresh vegetables making a beeline for the first bus to town, already packed with office-goers, students and others.
In this tumult, it is not unusual to spot the roads dotted with people, young and old, ambling about. An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but there’s nothing like a brisk early morning walk to rejuvenate one for the whole day! For some the enjoyment comes from having this habit firmly ingrained as part of their morning routine.
Gyms and health clubs may have caught the fancy of the younger generation, but an hour’s stint in the open, filling one’s lungs with fresh air, feeling the tarmac slide below the legs, is an experience by itself. The animated chirpings of the birds, the changing hues of the sky, the greenery or the withering vegetation, as the season varies, presenting a panorama of sorts, keeps one spellbound. For some though such appreciation is a forced expression, an indication of their insensitivity.
Generations of medicos and fitness experts have waxed eloquent about the virtues and merits of the morning stroll and inculcating this practice – and continue to do so. I feel an arcane pleasure in watching people, observing them trying their best to shed those layers of blubber adorning their anatomical larders, aiming to stay fighting fit.
The wave of a hand in recognition, an occasional nod of the head and the recurrent exchange of pleasantries with passers-by, mark some as regulars in the ‘circuit’. There some couples who love carrying their ‘pillow talk’ further from ‘last night’, animated discussions on family matters keeping them engrossed the whole distance. Evidently, they want to savour the much needed privacy afforded on these lonely trots. Corpulent figures huffing-and puffing their way around looking for a niche to ease their tiring bodies onto is another common feature on these stretches. It would appear that these people are more concerned about others appreciating their efforts at containing their obesity.
Fitness-freaks jogging and engaged in callisthenics, some using the bulwarks of bridges to exercise, do make heads turn around. Then, there are those who can only be seen out during holidays and vacations. No harm in that, considering that there are many who love to ‘enforce’ the office culture into their morning jaunt schedule as well – every holiday is compulsorily a rest day from the rigours of the fitness regime!
Flaunting track-suits in various shades, there is a special ‘species’ that can be seen doing everything but moving about and exerting themselves. Moving in groups of twos or threes, they appear more intent on idle gossips. The strange dress-sense that makes one substitute night-suits for the trekking ensemble and the penchant for wearing ill-fitting attire that causes suffocation more than anything else, makes it necessary to remind people that they aren’t participating in a fancy-dress parade, but are working out, to tone their muscles and burn off those extra calories.
At times it becomes apparent that these ‘footslogging affairs at dawn’ is best restricted to the confines our homes. The Canine-family i.e, the stray breed, looking to extend their boundaries beyond acceptable limits is seemingly adamant on denying the human race the right to thoroughfare. How alarming it is to have the fear of an imminent attack from packs of these hounds forcing one permanently indoors!
