With high prices, vegetables are exiting the plate of the common man.
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I am an undergraduate law student at a prestigious private college and currently not earning any income. I manage my monthly expenses with my pocket money. There is a quaint eatery near my department where I regularly enjoy vadai and chutney. However, for an entire week, they were out of chutney. When I enquired with the owner, she sighed with exasperation and explained that soaring onion prices had rendered it economically unfeasible to serve it alongside the vadai. I didn’t dwell on it much and carried on with my day.
Before long, I noticed that every eatery on campus began to raise their prices while simultaneously reducing portion sizes. Out of curiosity, I asked another shop owner about this trend, and he bluntly remarked that costs have skyrocketed. As a law student, I am aware that inflation has been a persistent issue in India, but this felt different — this food inflation seems unprecedented.
At home, my parents, both pensioners, have also been lamenting about the rising costs of everyday vegetables. My father relishes having two different vegetables for brunch, but now we have had to limit ourselves to just one. Our household has always prioritised a diverse vegetable intake, and after 24 years, we suddenly find ourselves with no choice but to cut back on that.
I have observed my friends opting for inexpensive fast food, such as cup noodles and chips, rather than more nutritious meals. Recently, a few college alumni returned for their convocation and expressed their frustration regarding how their earnings are consumed by the exorbitant cost of living in metropolitan areas. They noted that food prices on campus seemed relatively reasonable than those in the outside world.
A few months ago, I came across an article in The Hindu that addressed government proposals to exclude food inflation from the inflation index calculations in India. Initially, I found the reasoning unclear, but now I recognise the broader implications. As I approach graduation in a year, I am becoming increasingly concerned about whether I will be able to afford healthy meals when I start my professional career.
tejaswini.sugumaran@gmail.com
Published – December 08, 2024 03:04 am IST