Women stage novel protest against spiralling prices of essential commodities

AIDWA organizes protest against rising prices of essential commodities, demanding control of black marketing and futures trading.

A novel protest was organised by women, under the aegis of All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), against the spiralling prices of essential commodities and demanding control of black marketing and cancellation of the system of futures trading, at the Gandhi statue, near GVMC, here on Wednesday.

An effigy of the demon ‘Narakasura’, depicted as the spiralling prices of essential commodities, was burnt at the venue.

Addressing the gathering, AIDWA district president B. Padma and secretary Y. Satyavathi said that within 100 days of the BJP-led NDA government coming to power at the centre and the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance government coming to power in Andhra Pradesh, the prices of essential commodities have hit the roof. The prices were causing untold hardship to the poor and middle classes. The prices of pulses, tomatoes, onions, rice, vegetables and rice have increased abnormally.

Quoting the findings of a survey on ‘consumer confidence’, conducted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), they said that 93.3% of people have expressed dissatisfaction. The Supreme Court has also ruled that no one should go to sleep hungry, and that no one should end their lives due to hunger. They alleged that both the BJP and the TDP were not concerned on the issue. There were huge reserves of foodgrains in the FCI godowns. They sought that the foodgrains should be supplied through Fair Price Shops (ration depots) on the lines of that being done in Kerala.

They warned that people would teach both the governments a lesson, if they do not wake up to the situation, and initiate remedial measures to bring prices under control. AIDWA leaders R. Varalakshmi, K. Anuradha, Botta Eswaramma, D. Bharathi, Kondamma, Sujatha, V. Prabhavathi, L. Kameswari, Gitanjali, K. Kumari and K. Chandrakala also participated in the protest.