Jammu, Dec 14, TEN Network | Opinion
Onions are in news these days as their prices are unprecedented and are skyrocketing, thus putting
the average consumer to big hardships and inconveniences. In other words on can say that the rising
prices of the vegetables and especially onions is bringing tears to the eyes of the consumers and
this can be said as onion tears.
Onions are an essential item in the vegetable category and constitute
an essential vegetable in the menu of the average Indian and therefore the prices of onions should
be affordable to the common consumer. We have heard about the crocodile tears but have not
heard about the onion tears but due to the spiraling prices of the onions we are experiencing the
onion tears.
Government should take necessary steps to contain the rising prices of onions in
particular and other vegetables in general. Finance ministry and home ministry should work in
unison to curb the spine chilling prices of the onions at the earliest. It is very disturbing that the
rising prices of onions has been politicized by the opposition parties for their vote bank and only for
the sake of opposition .
It is the irony of Indian electoral politics that each and every issue and even
non-issues are politicized by the political satraps and the political parties without exception. This
time it is the congress, left parties and other opposition parties which are only politicizing the
genuine issue of the steep rise of the prices of onions .These days the issue of rising prices of onions
has been raised from the streets to the parliament and this shows the urgency of the issue and the
concern of the political parties on the issue of prices of onions. Though no one can shut the door of
politics for the issue of rising prices as electoral democracy is all about numbers and for this political
parties are politicizing the issue of the rising prices for their political expediency and for remaining in
the limelight .
The issue of rising prices of the vegetables and especially onions is a genuine issue
which concerns all including the politicians but politicizing of the price rise in onions should is
unfortunate ,rather the opposition should co-operate with the government so that the price rise can
be controlled in the interest of the people. Onions have brought tears to the consumers and the
politicians are politicizing this issue. Government is required to import the onions from other
countries and supplement the scant domestic production this year. There is the urgent need to curb
hoarding, black marketing and creating of the artificial scarcity of the onions by the unscrupulous
traders who are indulging in such anti-economic and anti-consumer activities.
Though the onions add taste to the cuisines but the onions as such are not so necessary to the lives of the consuming public that we cannot remain without it for some time. Onion prices have suddenly shot up from
rupees 30 a kg to rupees 90 kg and this price rise has put the consumers to great hardships and
inconveniences. The steep rise in the prices of the onions has broken the back of the poor
consumers .The rising onion prices have assumed much significance and has got distinction of even
toppling the government in the year 1998 in Delhi .
It is a matter of some relief that the government
has for some time banned the export of the onions and has embarked on the import of 1.5 lakh
metric ton onion to fight the scarcity of the onion in the domestic market .There has been shortage
of the onions because of the havoc created by excessive rains and floods and the onion producing
states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana have been badly affected and the onion crop was
damaged due to wetness as the fields where wet due to rains. This led to the shortage of the onions
in the market and resulted in rising prices of onions, thus affecting all of us .Now the central
government is taking steps to mitigate the problem of rising prices and the shortage in the market.
One thousand tones of the onion is reaching to Delhi and NCR but it has very little effect on the
prices and it is feared that the hoarders are hoarding the stock and creating artificial scarcity and the
centre has asked the state governments to curb hoarding of the onions so that the prices will
stabilize and consumers will have to co-operate with the government to fight the rising prices of
onions, so that people may not suffer any more. On the one hand the export of onions has been
banned for the time being and on the other hand imports of the onions will have a salutary effect on
the market and will lower down the prices. The third big step is that the hoarders and profiteers are
strongly dealt with and this will show the results in coming days, till then the consumers should
develop the habit of using less quantity of the onions and this way the consumers can co-operate
with the rulers to tide over the crisis .
But till then we have to see and experience the drama of
onionisation of politics in full swing and all of us have to contribute our bit for stabilizing the rising
prices of the onions and put a full stop to onionisation of politics. The BJP should see to it that the
insensitiveness of the government to this issue of public importance should not cost the party
darely in the ongoing elections in Jharkhand as it is the experience of the BJP that its government in
1998 in Delhi collapsed due to the rising prices of the onions as it was the measure cause which
contributed in the fall of the BJP government in Delhi .The rising prices of potatoes, tomatoes and
especially onions is bringing teary eyes to the consumers and thus we can safely say that onion
tears are tearing the eyes of the people.
(The writer is retired education officer and columnist)
