NEW DELHI: It is no big deal that for a Parliament used to discussing and dissecting scams worth thousands of crores, the dissipating odour of onions hasn't reached its hallowed portals.
After all, it has only touched Rs 100/kg and not yet vanished from the subsidized food plates of honorable members of Parliament. Is it the reflection of a changing politics or have our leaders completely forgotten that a politician who does not know h/his onion cannot curry favour with voters?
Call it the demise of institutional memory from our polity or plain cynicism that there was a time when growing onion price contributed to the fall of otherwise credible Janata government in 1981 forcingIndira Gandhi, who made a big comeback after her unceremonious exit in 1977, to call it the Onion election.
Soon, she realized onions had made her cry as well. By November 1981, prices had sky-rocketed— Rs 6/kg — that Lok Dal's Rameshewar Singh walked into the Rajya Sabha wearing a garland of onions and posters attached to it during the winter session. Chairperson M Hidayatullah asked him what was Singh wearing around the neck. After Singh complained of rising onion prices, Hidayatullah, known for ready wit, told him. "Let's see what you will wear when the prices of tyres go up or for that matter the prices of shoes." Some members of Congress (S) protested with onions in their hand which they put on Hidayatullah's desk. As the chairperson ordered removal of onions from his desk, Piloo Mody shot back, "It is very unfortunate that chairman should take away all the onions with him." LK Advani then at his fiery best reminded the Congress how it had made onion an election issue and conveniently swept it under the carpet.
Next day, Mody offered Rao Birendra Singh Rs 100 in the Upper House, asking him to get 50 kg of onions if the price had really come down to Rs 2 per kg. Rameshwar Singh went a step aheadand put Rs 1,300 on Hidyatullah's desk asking him to organize cheap onions. Amid the din, Congress's Hari Singh Nalwa actually took the money and promised to supply onions. Such wit and repartee that made the larger point and forced the government to take action are now only part of archives as MPs rarely talk of onions or price rise and even when they do a deserted House greets them.
Also see:
http://drkhalid.blogspot.in/2014/08/indian-farmers-against-bringing-onions.html
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/History-shows-humble-onions-can-deep-fry-political-class/articleshow/21806546.cms
For more than a week of the Monsoon session little work has been done, and even less time has been spent discussing spiraling prices of essential commodities.
After all, it has only touched Rs 100/kg and not yet vanished from the subsidized food plates of honorable members of Parliament. Is it the reflection of a changing politics or have our leaders completely forgotten that a politician who does not know h/his onion cannot curry favour with voters?
Call it the demise of institutional memory from our polity or plain cynicism that there was a time when growing onion price contributed to the fall of otherwise credible Janata government in 1981 forcingIndira Gandhi, who made a big comeback after her unceremonious exit in 1977, to call it the Onion election.
Soon, she realized onions had made her cry as well. By November 1981, prices had sky-rocketed— Rs 6/kg — that Lok Dal's Rameshewar Singh walked into the Rajya Sabha wearing a garland of onions and posters attached to it during the winter session. Chairperson M Hidayatullah asked him what was Singh wearing around the neck. After Singh complained of rising onion prices, Hidayatullah, known for ready wit, told him. "Let's see what you will wear when the prices of tyres go up or for that matter the prices of shoes." Some members of Congress (S) protested with onions in their hand which they put on Hidayatullah's desk. As the chairperson ordered removal of onions from his desk, Piloo Mody shot back, "It is very unfortunate that chairman should take away all the onions with him." LK Advani then at his fiery best reminded the Congress how it had made onion an election issue and conveniently swept it under the carpet.
Next day, Mody offered Rao Birendra Singh Rs 100 in the Upper House, asking him to get 50 kg of onions if the price had really come down to Rs 2 per kg. Rameshwar Singh went a step aheadand put Rs 1,300 on Hidyatullah's desk asking him to organize cheap onions. Amid the din, Congress's Hari Singh Nalwa actually took the money and promised to supply onions. Such wit and repartee that made the larger point and forced the government to take action are now only part of archives as MPs rarely talk of onions or price rise and even when they do a deserted House greets them.
Also see:
http://drkhalid.blogspot.in/2014/08/indian-farmers-against-bringing-onions.html
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/History-shows-humble-onions-can-deep-fry-political-class/articleshow/21806546.cms
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