Opposition-sponsored Bharat Bandh- A wake-up call for UPA govt

The opposition parties-sponsored Bharat Bandh over fuel price hike on July 5 has been a complete success. Entire Bharat was put on hold during the band as it received spontaneously support from the people of all walks of life. Dr. Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance government must wake-up and feel the pain of general public due to sky-rocketing prices of all commodities without any loss of time and address to their problems. Otherwise,they will have to pay the price for insensitivity to the problems of common poor public arising out their anti-people economic policy. In a concerted effort by opposition parties to take on the government on the issue of fuel price hike, the BJP-led NDA and Left parties staged a nation-wide strike demanding a rollback. Their Bharat Bandh has been a total success.Though the NDA and the Left parties made separate announcements , their motive was the same as the issue of price rise has hit hard equally to all economic categories of people irrespective of their political beliefs.It is good to grill the UPA govt that the opposition parties have shown rock like unity for the most burning issue of the day for the general poor public. Bhara Bandh call paralysed the nation and it has been the first such instance of opposition unity after the JP movement in the mid-seventies.In order to protest against this unjustified hike in petroleum prices and the total ineptitude of UPA government to address this problem, the entire country was put on hold against its highhandedness.There appeared no difference among the entire opposition on the issue of fuel price hike. Every party, except the ruling coalition, has demanded a rollback. But the Dr. Manmohan Singh-led UPA government insensitivity to the Aam Admi’s pain caused by unprecented price hike of petroleum products and all other essential commodities can be seen today in the statement of Union Finance Minister and seniormost Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee that there is no question of rollback. He was replying to newsmen’s query as if he is the king and running his ministry on the line of belief that he can do no wrong. While the matter of the fact and ground reality in the country reflects that he is running his ministry on US dictation, which is anti-people and anti-poor . General public may have suffered from the Opposition- sponsored Bharat Bandh over fuel price hike but they have to be content that this strike has been for their benefit.All essential services like supply of water, milk, electricity, hospital and emergency services were exempted from the hartal.The initiative to bring all opposition parties, including the Left, to join hands in protesting against the government on price rise issue is commendable. The UPA government must be compelled to rollback the fuel price hike at all costs. The overwhelming support to the Opposition over Bandh against fuel price hike would certainly arouse the government from slumber. During the last budget session of Parliament, several non-Congress parties had spoken in one voice on rise in sugar prices and other issues.A joint protest by the Opposition over fuel price hike was made during budget session of Parliament in March, but it could not materialise. The Aam Admi slogan of the UPA is nothing but a political stunt to mislead the public. Opposition must do everything to attack this insensitive UPA govt.