So, after Kargil conflict in 1999 we witnessed yet another skirmish between two arch rivals, India and Pakistan. The risk of war still holds ground as the armies of both countries are yet to retreat to their normal positions. Courtesy, television studios of both the countries where in the name of patriotism their anchors are fusing to let the war cry die now.
We are not first time witnessing heightened tension between India and Pakistan. In fact the conflict has got embedded in Kashmiri culture some three decades back. Breeding conflict for decades together, the place and the state subjects stand acclimatized to the norm of death, destruction and also to natural disasters. Precisely, Kashmir is a place where this kind of mayhem is a norm and most of the times people leave it to the luck to survive. So, the current skirmish where loaded jets of two warring countries roared in J&K skies, was not so scary for the state subjects as it was (and is still) for people in rest of the country.
Let’s not venture deep into the warring arena, but have a look on the plight of common Kashmiri people at a time when national highway succumbed to the weather vagaries and disrupted normal life with common people struggling to lay hand on essential commodities. With shortage of essential commodities, the markets, especially food grains and vegetables, are currently hit by price rise. None of us, even the government, are vocal to resist the sky-rocketing of prices.
Price rise is not unprecedented at our place and it’s not at all based on any economics. But, it’s the writ of the supplier which runs and peg the pricing of the commodities arbitrarily. We as consumers are left with no option but to pay the illogical prices of the essentials with no other option before us.
Precisely, the focus on rising prices is nowhere visible here. This all happens under the nose of authorities and it seems they all have lost the sense of smelling the foul of arbitrarily driven price rise syndrome which is engulfing the common man’s prosperity.
We as consumers too have a unique attitude. We vehemently voice our demand for high quality fuel etc., but act as silent majority to uncontrolled price hike. In this system of economics, we surprisingly expect rules of physics to protect us from price rise. The theory of gravity that anything that goes up is bound to come down is not applicable in this context. Here it’s opposite – whatever goes up, will never come down.
However, the war at least against arbitrary and illogical price rise of essentials needs to be led by government and not the common man. So far, we haven’t seen anything substantial done to pull common people out of the price hike syndrome. Even we haven’t seen any consideration from government side over the hardships being faced by a common Kashmiri due to the sharp price hike of essential commodities.
Here I am reminded of a quotable quote of William Beveridge, a Bangladesh born British economist and social reformer – the object of government in peace and in war is not the glory of rulers or of races, but the happiness of common man.
Let’s hope sensitivity of the issue prevails in government machinery and put a check on the backbone breaking pricing of essential commodities. They have to understand that the rising prices has a lasting effect on the cost of living of the common man. Under the circumstance, the people are bound to fell short of the money needed by them to sustain a certain level of living, including basic expenses such as food, taxes, and healthcare. It has a direct bearing on their prosperity. It’s notable that when the cost of living goes up, social structure of a common man too takes a hit, exposing him more to complexities.
Let risk of war be not an excuse to allow war on peoples’ pockets.
(The views are of the author & not the institution he works for)
sajjadbazaz@greaterkashmir.com
sajjad bazaz