Shiban Khaibri
The tangy sweet flavour carrier, the aroma and the powerful ultimate taste giver to the recipe, the one that is most needed in our kitchen, the onion, in any one of its three colours has acquired importance in circles outside the kitchens in India. Agreed the stuff is indispensable in our kitchens for cooking, making gravies, soups, curries etc; but we remember the good old days when even the sight of this “tamasi” round shaped stuff of layers that brings tears in our eyes on chopping and slicing it, would invite a severe reprimand from our elders, whom modern ones would call orthodox, if we ever dared to bring it home even stealthily. Even during festivals, pujas, fasts on Navratras etc; this onion becomes a thing to be even not touched, let alone consumed. In other words, living without it too has been and can be a reality, without compromising with the taste or the efficacy of the recipe. That speaks broadly for the immediate resolution of its hike in prices due to factors partly because of operating of market forces and more, due to human made factors, the eye being on making a quick buck at the expense of a common man. Politics, unfortunately for this country, plays a prominent role right from the “mandis” to corridors of political Parties. Even elected governments could be shaken if not now toppled.
The reasons that onions , their high prices and impact on our economic, social and political areas has been attempted to be discussed here are obvious instead of these days, in this country, with 125 crore people, with intricate multiple problems and issues , some Radhey Ma or Sheena murder cases are tossed about, analyzed, discussed, debated , circumstances dissected with so much of repetition, frequency and urgency as if these two, now the Sheena case only, were pressing immediate problems of this country. One wonders as to for how many more days this Sheena murder case was going to be debated and what national interest was going to be served by it ? We in Jammu, for instance, most of the localities are facing unprecedented and unheard of power cuts, nay power failures, in this sultry and humid hot weather, so much so, that the breakdowns, not the usually called cuts or load shedding, are for eight to twelve hours daily, and this most troubling issue needed to be thoroughly discussed. Not the known faces from the political areas but a few from common Jammu citizens should have been invited on TV debates to share their nightmares with the countrymen, reminding them that in Delhi or NCR, a cut of just two hours sends everyone running from here to there to explain and assure immediate resolution but why not about the people living in Jammu? Sukhvinder Kour alias Radhey Ma occupies hours, days and weeks on electronic media now followed by Sheena murder case but not Jammu electric power crises, which can be termed as a torture, why?
In between, thorough breaking of newer “breaking news” on Sheena murder and Radhey- ma theatrics in all “red”, just for a respite perhaps to pillory PM Narindra Modi, onion related “tears” , melodramas, “thali beatings”, garlanding one another by Congress men and some other opposition parties activists are shown on most of these TV Channels. On Raksha Bandhan , some Congress activists were, seen gifting onions in empty sweet boxes to their sisters which not only is a “glaring” violation of the traditions accompanying the festival of Raksha Bhandhan but a mark of disrespect to sisters and the women of this country in that, are onions so much of a life necessity that they are sent as (political) gifts to sisters but not before photo ops accompanied by demonstrations? How many instances of novel type of protests by “onion sufferers” who see a political prospective boon in this short term price problem can be cited here but one thing is worth noting that nowhere in the world , most parts of which must be watching such onion motivated demonstrations, shall such a small issue as a slight hike in onion prices of a very short duration attracting time, energy, police bandobast, media reporting and political speeches as in this country, perhaps all under the “fruits of flourishing democracy” ever happen there? Let the short time small problem of this price rise be analyzed.
Who is responsible for and which factors have contributed towards the rise in onion prices? What are factors other than market forces at work at Lasangaon, Nasik, Asia’s biggest onion market, which sets the trend of onion prices? Who will arrest decades old unhealthy synergy between traders and mandi bosses cum influential persons besides at Lasangaon, at Nasik and Pimpalgaon mandis and their politics? How much are those political parties which send their workers on roads to milk this issue for some political gains, responsible for this rise? Which agency declared early this year that India was to suffer very deficient Monsoon rainfall and why? Before many other similar questions are underlined here, a simple and thumb rule about prices are that they are determined by markets, by interaction of forces of supply and demand. A basic reality is , generally speaking, that if the relative demand for a product increases or the supply not matching with it , consumers must pay more for it and the vice versa is the case. In short, demand, supply, cost and prices are interrelated. A change in one will bring change in others. Prices cannot be controlled artificially on a long term basis as production of that good gets disturbed. However, crimes like hoarding, profiteering and black marketing of onions are creating artificial scarcity which needs governmental intervention.
Are onions cartelized and who backs them and why? In other words, the term cartel refers to a group of manufacturers and suppliers of a commodity responsible to maintain high prices and restrict competition. We, as a natural corollary, favour benefits to be reaped by the farmers producing agricultural commodities. If benefits of price raise trickle down to farmers, most of whom have known the market tricks, why then still they commit suicides? The trend of suicides was more disturbing during UPA1 AND 2 rule. But there are their elected representatives on the most powerful Agricultural Produce Management Committee (APMC). Out of a total of 21 members, there are 18 farmers on this committee which issues licenses and decides about pricing and other matters. The stark fact is that there always appears proximity between the traders and those who must protect the farmers, their representatives and the cartels thrive in the situation. APMC elections are no less important as compared to political ones. More than 14 mandis are controlled reportedly by a Congress ally and the rest by other political parties and from here, political fortunes are pursued and careers in politics broadened. Politics of onions fountains from here and rest is the story in itself.
It is intriguing to see that a mere drop in production of onions from 194 lakh tonnes last year to 189 lakh tones this year should create a scare among the consumers as well as result in the price rise. Either there is tremendous spurt in demand which is not backed by the supplies or other forces are at work especially when this stuff has been made politically vulnerable. Creating a perception of scarcity and withholding of stocks , the prices of onions go up sharply but the traders would never accept it. Keeping onions out of Mandis to be bought directly by the government agencies shall hit the farmers as they shall find selling difficult. Should then MNCos step in , get licenses and trade in onions? Should organized retail be arranged to provide an alternative selling platform to farmers? Should onions be stopped to be exported and presently orders placed for importing these to flood the markets to bring down the prices? Last but not the least, should we adopt traditions old system of abstinence say for a fortnight to see the prices crashing? Lastly, why should we aspire for cheap vegetables, not going beyond Rs.10, 20 or 30 for potatoes, onions and tomatoes etc respectively when the farmers do not get enough to sustain themselves and leave farming at an alarming rate in India ?
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