O J's Corner : Reflections

One upmanship

Political parties in the country are shedding crocodile tears for the common man in the matter of fuel prices. They are taking political mileage out of the issue of hike in petrol and diesel prices. Each party wants to present a feel-good-for-the-people projection.

Heart of hearts, everybody knows that fuel prices were to be hiked in view of the rising prices in the international market. The issue was how much should the hiked prices be.

In the normal course, the modus operandi would be that the government cut approximately Rs one per litre of petrol from the Rs four hike to accommodate the shrill voices of protest of the left parties supporting the UPA Government.

This time round, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appears to be adamant, for he had suffered ignominies at the hands of the left parties during the recent Assembly elections in a few states. Instead of backtracking from the election tempo during which there was an all-out attack against the Congress Party, the left parties continued to put further pressure.

Their motive is to take one pound of flesh from the government, then seek two pounds of flesh and seek more and more. They know that a time would come when it hurts grievously.

Coming to the fuel prices, the BJP has been agitating. Now the left parties have paralysed normal life by calling for a hartal. The same hartal is not there in West Bengal, where reformist  CPM Chief Minister Budhadeb Bhattacharjee would have only token protest.
In Kerala, though a CPM CM, V S Achuthanandan, reigns, the agitation is day-long, hurting people.

Congress-ruled States have announced cut in taxes for fuels, facilitating slight reprieve for the people. BJP-ruled States and as well as Left-dominated dispensations would not cut taxes.

Where is the concern for the people by political parties?