Ramadan: The Spiritual Business

As just some days left for holy month of Ramadan, unprecedented increase in the prices of essential foodstuff has been witnessed as prices of vegetables, fruits, meet, pulses, flour, rice, and sugar have gone up to all time high.

The prices of majority of the commodities have gone up during the last one year, as never ending vicious cycle of price escalation has pushed large number of items beyond the purchasing power of a common man. When one visits the market, it clearly emerges that the government has totally failed t curb increase in price tendency by retailers and wholesalers, which has particularly gained momentum during the last one year.

Now you have to purchase various types of pulses in 65,70,50,60,40 rupees per kg. Its hard now even to buy pulses at any sensible, affordable and reasonable price. Government had always given special package in Ramadan but there was no much difference in prices. The concerned authorities, should take a break from their siesta for some time, and try to punish these spineless retailers and wholesalers, who are playing with the nation which is already beleaguered and in a very dismal state.

The price of wheat flour has gone up by Rs 10 per 20-kg bag. The 20-kg bag of fine flour is being sold at Rs 285, which was previously sold at Rs275. The prices of brown flour 5-kg bag also increased from Rs90 to Rs95 recently. The brown flour 20 kg bag also witnessed some hike of Rs 3.

According to Economic survey of Pakistan 2006-07, our annual production of rice is 5,438 million tons, in spite of the fact that Pakistan is one of the largest rice producing countries, it is facing an unprecedented price hike. Rice, commonly used by large number of unprivileged segment of the society and known as a poor man meal but still it is not in range of poor people as currently according to the types of rice, one purchase rice at Rs30 to Rs50 per kg.

Ghee and cooking oil are our basic commodity but its increasing prices putting enormous burden on kitchen cost. You cannot buy fruit, not at that unbearable cost. Each fruit item is very very costly. Apples, grapes, bananas have become equivalent to diamonds, gold and silver respectively.

How could a person who earns 5000 monthly can eat even two times a day with his family?