January 09, 2009
 

Strikes are a form of economic terrorism

This week almost all parts of India have been significantly hit by striking truckers and oil PSU officers. As a result, the supply of petrol, diesel and other fuels used for transportation & cooking has dwindled, most places in India are facing a severe shortage crisis, the price of commodities has gone up due to scarcity of supply.

There are long queues at the few petrol dispensing stations that do have limited supply. People are finding it hard to go about their normal business, including going to work, sending their children to school, buying commodities, etc. People are unable to travel by road or air. Manufacturing companies are finding it tough to transport their products around. My company has a cab pickup-drop service, but all drops from the afternoon have been cancelled. This means anyone who came in to work by cab (me! me! me!) has to figure out how to get home after work!

Despite the fact that petrol & other related fuels (kerosene, LPG, CNG, diesel, etc.) are included in the list of commodities under the Essential Commodities Management Act, the government hasn't acted tough with the striking folks.

It is likely that those striking have legitimate demands. But I find it abhorring that the general public is expected to put up with the outcome of their actions, in much the same manner as my cable operator asking me to put up with the inconvenience when all non-Kannada channels were off the air during a one-day strike over Belgaum, in 2006.

Given the huge impact on the country, I'd say this is a form of economic terrorism as well.

Labels: petrol, strike, terrorism