Why is there no outrage at petrol-diesel prices creeping up

Even as petrol and diesel prices are at an all time high and creep steadily towards the Rs 100 mark, there is little public anger compared to eight years ago when Amitabh Bachchan to Akshay Kumar mocked the Government. Petrol at the time was in the region of Rs 60 and international crude prices were two and a half times higher than it is today. So, what explains the indifference now? We asked a few people to find out.

Prateek Thakkar

PR Professional, Bangalore

I have the same question, why this deafening silence? The price rise pinches me. Earlier, I could get 27 litres of petrol for INR 2000; now I get only 21 to 22 litres. That’s a significant difference, and every day it is rising, but people are expected to just accept it and move on. The current government is charging much more taxes than the UPA government, but the disbursement of the taxes is not happening properly. Why do not the opposition party ruled States not taking up the issue with the Centre?

Pavneet Kaur

Delhi

I, for one, am too busy protesting against life threats against the Sikh community. They are talking of a repeat of 1984. You are hearing things like, “All the Singhs and Kaurs leave India, go to Pakistan or Canada.' Fuel price rise seems like a small issue right now.

Leslie Micheal

Retired from Railways, Mumbai

It makes me angry, anybody would be angry, now that it is over Rs. 94 per litre. But I also feel hopeless and helpless. I am not sure whom to blame. I do not know if it is a global price rise or just India’s case. I always thought prices rose as the years rolled by, like I remember filling petrol at about Rs. 20 per litre back in the late 1990s. Of course, I am not defending the govt but government do not manufacture it. Earlier the Bollywood celebrities used to complaint about it but now they do not because they are all ‘chamchas’ of the present government. They wanted to criticize Congress party, it was not about blaming government but blaming Congress.

Samvartha

Writer and Translator, Manipal.

I do not own a vehicle, so I am not directly affected, though public transportation costs have also gone up. But here is the deal, even if it was affecting me, how can I possibly be angry at or criticize the God? On a serious note, I am aware that my friends and family who are all pro-right wing Hindutva government are feeling the pinch of the price rise, but they cannot say anything. People have internalized the current government so much that saying anything about the government decisions is the same as self-criticism. Modi is not the Prime Minister, he is the Hindu Hriday Samrat. Manmohan Singh was a PM, Nehru was PM, Modi is something else so he can get away with anything. It is part of human culture and psyche to believe that if you are suffering it must be because God puts you through trials. That is why God can get away with anything, from demonetisation to migrant labourer crisis to fuel price rise. Interestingly though, I sometimes eavesdrop the migrant labourers on the bus talking, and they seem to be much more politically vocal.

Academic

(name withheld), Dehradun

I did not even know there is a fuel price rise. My university is quite close to my residence so the total number of kilo meters I drive is very little and so I do not feel the difference in mileage. Also, during the COVID lockdown I hardly ever used the car, so it did not make any difference. At the same time, I do not remember being worried about fuel prices during the UPA time either. I do not remember being angry at the government about it, I guess the fuel price was never even an issue with me. It was entirely a political agenda created with the help media and some Bollywood celebrities who would sell anything for money.

Archana Seekar

Researcher, Chennai

I am actually surprised at myself that the fuel price rise was not even an issue on my mind until you asked me the question. I spend around INR 6000 to 8000 per month on petrol as I drive around quite a bit. But due to my privileged background, and because the price rise has been so normalized, plus or minus couple of thousand Rupees does not affect my monthly budget.

I remember until five to ten years back, the moment we heard there would be a price rise the next morning, the night before there would be long queues in front of all petroleum outlets. Now it is rising on a daily basis, so I do not even notice the change. Moreover, there are so many other issues we are grappling with in the nation that fuel price does not seem like a priority item on the outrage list. This morning at around 4 am I drove to this area where Adani is building a new port which would potentially cause loss of life, livelihood, and culture of local people. Those people are not really bothered with fuel prices.