“Did you know that there is a hartal in Kerala today?” asked my dad when he called me up in the morning. “Hartal? What is it this time?”, I asked. ” It is to protest against the hike in fuel prices”, he explained, knowing fully well that I was way too far away from my hometown to know how the machinery of administration in my state of Kerala functioned.
Kerala is not the only state which has raised a hue and cry against the fuel price hike which was announced on Friday. Buses, taxis and auto rickshaws stayed off the road in Kerala. West Bengal too followed suit. There are reports that protest marches are being taken out in various parts of the country as I write this. A report in Economic Times say that the opposition has decided to protest this hike.
The price of diesel went up by Rs 2 a litre, kerosene by Rs 3 a litre and cooking gas by Rs 35 per cylinder. The prices of petrol will now be costlier by Rs 3.50 per litre. And it has affected the life of the common man. People from all walks of life across the country are reacting.
“This will be a big blow to our monthly budget,” said my friend Viji. “We have always had trouble getting a refill once the gas gets over, and now it is bound to be worse,” she laments. “I think it will be more economical taking the company cab than driving to work,” adds her husband. I am sure my friend is not the only person who will have this problem.
This reminded me of another conversation I had yesterday evening while going out. Before I got into the auto, the driver said “Meter ke upar 20 rupees hoga madam” (20 rupees extra on meter fare, madam). I was taken aback, but since I had to get to a place and was left without another option, I jumped in. And en route, I asked him why. He said, “Madam, did you not see the price hike news on TV?” When I said yes, he went on to say that he has to pay a loan on his vehicle and now that the prices have gone up, he had to up the fares to make both ends meet. I told him that it wasn’t fair. To which he replied, “I try to be as fair as I can, madam, did I not tell you before you got into the auto?”. I was left speechless.
My cabbie had a different story to tell. He said that the price hike was one of the main topics his family discussed over dinner last night. Was it because of the hike in petrol/diesel prices, I wondered aloud. “No, madam”, pat came the response, “we use kerosene a lot, and that will affect us more than the prices of cooking gas and diesel”.
Economic Times has collated reactions from economists, analysts and honchos of India Inc on the fuel price hike. Here is what they have to say.
I wonder why and who stands to benefit from this price hike. What say, folks? Do you feel this price hike is justified?
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