Yesterday I was talking to my friend and he asked do you support Bharat Bandh. I said I do support it.He did not believe me and thought that I may have some confusion.So he said maybe you support the cause as no one can support the method as it was sheer madness.I support both the cause and method and I have my reasons for it.
Why do I support the cause?
Its easy to answer this one five years ago my cutting tea came in two rupees and now it takes four rupees.If I eat out my bills are at ridiculous levels and everything I have gained in terms of appraisals is making no change in my savings.I did not get any appraisal last year as they cited recession but prices heard of no recession and they kept rising.And even after miserably failing to control prices now government wants to practice sound economics and this is not acceptable at least not to me.This decision to raise petro-product prices will have a cascading effect to prices of essential commodities.
Will there be bad effects to economy if prices are not raised?
There may be, we may have large fiscal deficit.Do we stand to gain anything if this fiscal deficit comes down?I have my serious doubts, all extra money will go down the corruption drains.I feel more money in hands of middle class will help India grow better, we will invest in education of future citizens(our children),in infrastructure(houses) .Extra money will also fuel demand for goods which will produce more jobs.
Now a few of economists are going around saying that if prices are not raised we will have to pay more taxes. We have been living with subsidies for so long are we paying more.The answer is a no in fact we are paying less and no one should be worried we can always have another Bandh.
Have all other methods been exhausted?
I feel all other ways have been exhausted media has highlighted it ,political parties have raised it in parliament.There have been silent protests.So what happened ,absolutely nothing.The government always puts in a speaker or two who will blame opposition parties that they had raised the prices in their time.In end nothing happens.And now I have a feeling that they have become arrogant.Manmohan Singh has done nothing as a prime minister just close your eyes and name a few you wont remember many.He did a great job as finance minister,but as prime minister his only contribution is that he was not interfering with corporates and working class.
Is Bandh the only way?
Nine years ago I was part of a big strike against my university.The university had failed a lot of guys(I was lucky to have passed in all the subject) ,so we sent delegations to vice chancellor to conduct a few extra exams and give every one a second chance.The vice chancellor making a mockery of us said this will happen only when one of you is made a VC and were driven out of university by security guards.Some guys started sloganeering and I had lost my mind so I picked up a half brick and threw it at a truck and it triggered an action.That day students went on rampage and burned three buses and a lot of damage to property.Police chased us in the city and I caught the first train out of it.The very next day we got Extra exams.We may have been wrong at that time it is not a justifiable cause as the present one, but it works.
What about damage?
This is the tricky part.Well most of the things(cars buses) are ensured and they will be paid out.People doing bandhs should take care that they do not hurt anyone.
Now most of bandh calls are ineffective in Mumbai.So its better to check the conditions(watch tv,call friends) if the situation is not favorable one should also be very careful while venturing out.No one is going to give you medals for reaching office so dont go if its not necessary. If its necessary go before bandh starts.Take your lunch as you wont find any shops open.
Now some people have asked so what will bandh do,well nothing if government is not sensitive.Though this will ensure that they wont raise the prices again in near future.And before next elections they will withdraw it.Though another bandh would have got the action done much faster but this would be bad for economy.
PS: I support congress in mumbai :).
