Living cost in India has been constantly rising along with the cost of basic amenities. This is also an indication of rapidly changing lifestyle in India. Today our lifestyle in India is based on the market, available products, there prices which have penetrated every sphere of our every day life.
It is really ridiculous that on one hand basic cost of living is increasing whereas cost of lifestyle products, luxury items is decreasing. Food prices are rising, cost of fuels is also increasing whether it is for cooking or transport, rates of power are also increasing. Today every Indian is directly influenced by the market and markets have a greater role in shaping our lifestyle today then it was a decade ago. Today every household is directly or indirectly dependent on market, its supply, its products, its prices. Markets today influence decisions inside our house, they decide our life, our level of satisfaction, peace of mind, everything.
This is true for every middle class family and families living below this line. Survival of a common man has really become very difficult. Hand to mouth lifestyle has made there life a unsolved puzzle. Most Indian families and there members think that increasing there earnings, making more money can solve this problem forever but they are wrong,
Today our consumptions are not based on necessities but on availability of products in local market or tele-markets and our individual disposable income. Offers, discounts and sales surround our life from every nook and corner. If we watch TV then commercials are ready to draw our attention, if we love to walk or travel then our roads, highways are filled with all sort of banners and writings. If we love to read books, magazines or newspapers or listening to radio they all provide suggestions on what is good and what is not and where to spend money. Every space is used to exploit our emotions, feelings with a piece of product or service.
Products and services in the market try to provide solution for every problem including family problem, health problem, success in life, improving life and everything. Although cost of each of these products and services is decreasing day by day which makes them more attractive but the number of products or services that we used earlier and now have increased tremendously thus actually making things difficult to manage. Modern payment processors have made it possible to pay/purchase anything, anytime from home or office using any one from a number of payment options like credit cards, debit cards, net banking, pay on delivery, phone banking, cash cards etc.
Today every Indian is purchasing/consuming a number of products/services which he/she may not actually need. There attractive prices and promise to provide an excellent solution conveniently is also a reason which cannot be overlooked. This trend is actually increasing at an exploding rate from urban to rural and even remote places of India. Those who cannot afford a major brand can easily find an alternative cheap imitation.
BASIC NECESSITIES ARE NO MORE CHEAPER IN INDIA
Basic necessities of life like good food, clean air to breathe and pure water to drink, harmonious family environment, peace of mind, satisfaction in life are no more cheaper in India Today. The traditional Indian lifestyle is a history, although products and services based on that theme are available at a price.
Simple living and high thinking is now an expensive idea that nobody is willing to entertain. First it is not easy to get isolated from surrounding competition and mental tension. Rising food prices have made life of a common man tough. A number of food prices have recently seen an unprecedented rise. Sugar itself has jumped from 15-20 rupees to 50-60 rupees per kilogram. A common man cannot predict his monthly household expenses for next month cause prices are unpredictable it is not only the prices of commodities but prices of vegetable, fruits, milk and other household items also make there presence and importance felt from time to time. Our government and ministers give various reasons for this uncertainty, may be some of them too are involved in this match fixing. There are definitely some who take advantage from this volatility for profit booking and we cannot deny that on a number of occasions these are artificially created.
A situation questioning survival of a common man, of families working in small and medium businesses, labors is just another business opportunity for some businesses/politicians/bureaucrats. They can't understand the dilemma of a common man an Indian with a modern lifestyle. They don't know or care that these circumstances can be a question of life and death for some people, it can put a number of Indians in embarrassing situation, families with children and senior citizens in trauma.
Today one can talk to anyone across the country at 1paisa/second as we have one of the lowest tariffs for mobile telephony. One can fly from one location to another at an unbelievable price (air fares are competitive too). One can get branded personal care product from Re1 onwards. A car for Rs 1 Lakh (Tata Nano is worlds cheapest car available today). This is the story of our latest developments in science and technology.
One another side a country which is primarily agriculture based, a majority of its population still depends on agriculture is not able to maintain food prices, prices of essential commodities within limits. Who is responsible, what is the motive behind this. Thanks God that India is a democracy, with a number of political parties, each of which tries to show its sympathy towards voters, they know they have to face elections and they also know how to get close to voters with an issue.
On the issue of rising prices our agriculture minister Mr. Sharad Pawar had said "I am not an astrologer" in 2nd week of January 2010 (watch this news video below) and later when he was under political pressure he said that Prime Minister and cabinet are equally responsible for this for details read Pawar's wings clipped at IBNLive News.
Is this the answer that we expected from our Union Agriculture Minister and minister of consumer affairs on rising food prices and cost of living in India. Or our government should hand these ministries to some astrologers (India has many).
