Hyderabad: Onions make us cry and this includes not just homemakers working in the kitchens, but our politicians as well.
Remember late Sushma Swaraj? In 1998, BJP made her chief minister of Delhi just two months prior to the assembly elections. But this move did not help its win as onions came in their way, which were selling at Rs. 45 to 50 per kg. Considering the inflation level of that time this price was quite high. The result – BJP lost. Everyone concluded that the loss was owing to onions.
After 15 years, the tables turned. Preceding to 2013 assembly elections the onion prices went up to Rs. 100 per kilo. Ultimately Congress governments in Delhi and Rajasthan had to pay the price for it.
Hence, the politicians of all hues are always quite alert to the price of onions.
But politicians in Maharashtra are exceptions to it. In the past month, onion prices are continuously rising in the markets all over the country. In Maharashtra, onions are selling at about Rs. 50 per kg. Last year around the same time they were Rs.10 per kg.
Lasalgaon (Dist. Nashik), famed for being the largest onion market in Asia, saw the auction prices going up to Rs. 5100 per quintal on 20th September, which fuelled the speculation that the retail prices could very soon go to Rs. 70 to 80 per kilo.
Later with the central government's intervention and a ban on the exports, the prices have steadied. But all this while, Devendra Fadnavis was never seen losing sleep. Nor were there any accusations or complaints from the Opposition.
And in a way, Fadnvis should thank Sharad Pawar for this.
Some ten years ago, when Sharad Pawar was an Agriculture Minister at the Center, the state had seen similar hikes in agricultural commodities like onion, sugar, Dal, etc. At that time BJP and Shiv Sena were in the Opposition and they did try to capitalise on the issue.
Pawar refused to budge in. Instead, he said that if because of the price rise, farmers are getting some money, nobody should complain. He remained firm whenever such situations arose later. In 2013, even when the onion prices had risen up to Rs. 100 per kg he refused to ban the exports.
Incidentally, during one such occasion in 2010 when sugar prices were rising, the mouthpiece of Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party had said that, “no one dies for by not eating sugar,”. It created a lot of furore but Pawar remained unfazed.
Earlier, even the slightest rise in these commodities used to see a lot of middle-class protests everywhere, especially in big cities like Mumbai. Media used to lap up such events. But now the times have changed. Tide has turned. Notwithstanding the price rise, there is a complete lull in the state.
Last week, various organisations of farmers and traders had a meeting in Nashik and they have threatened to boycott the auctions in the markets from 5th October if the Central Government does not lift the ban on onion exports. They are saying that such a ban is bringing the prices down and is detrimental to the interests of farmers.
Interestingly, no political party, even at the height of the elections season, would dare to oppose this demand, even though it means supporting a hike in the price rise. Interestingly, even in the media, there is less clamour against inflation in the prices. Yes, there are some experts and commoners, who raise doubts about how much do the farmers really benefit from this rise. But at the moment, their voices are drowned out in the din around.
The narrative set by Mr Pawar and many Farmers' Organisation a few years ago is completely set and now very difficult to challenge. At least, for the moment. And BJP hardly needs to cry over it.
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