Formula 1, IndyCar Championships, car racing, motorcycle racing? They may be fun. All of us do enjoy it. Debating on whether Hamilton or Kimi will win. But don’t you think we pay too heavy a price for all this? Fun has a limit. It shouldn’t be too pricey or at the cost of others. Already we see whole countries affected by the volatile nature of a certain liquid. A very precious liquid nevertheless, the value of which has prompted people to call it Black Gold.
I’m not saying that all these motorsports have a huge bearing whatsoever on the petroleum scenario. But they do waste so much precious fuel that could have been used for so many varied purposes. The whole of our organized world revolves around this poisonous (if consumed, of course), yet utterly priceless liquid. Yet we go about wasting it. The whole political scene of India is dependent on petrol. Inflation keeps on rising, on account of a slight rise in the price of petrol. Companies like BPCL and HPCL are going bankrupt because our stupid Government can’t do a brave thing like increasing the cost of fuel. Of course, it would mean a premature end to their reign. But already, barrel prices of petrol are sky-rocketing and this subsidizing of price done by the UPA is leading to a slow death for the whole of the Indian economy.
Of course, we have senseless people like the Leftist parties who are opposed to this. Definitely, it is going to severely affect the poorer Indian populace. For this article, people might point out that most blog writers are from the upper middle class and can easily rely on their parents’ money. But the truth is a bitter pill to swallow, and this is going to affect people from all strata of the society (except the extremely rich people).
The advantage of bringing the cost of petrol at par with the international market would mean reduction in the wanton usage of cars and motorcycles. People will think twice before using their supposed “status” toys. It will also mean more strikes and the sort by people all over the country. But is making the country bankrupt any consolation for letting people waste such a precious resource?! Hopefully, the people at the top will realize the futility of subsidizing petrol prices and do something before our beloved country goes to the dogs.
I’m not saying that the US of A is a particularly brilliant country, but atleast they have a free economy and people do understand the facts surrounding this non-renewable (and slowly depleting) resource. The price of Black Gold there depends totally on the market prices, and that is how it should be. Car pooling and other such things should be encouraged.
But no, the noveau rich of our country want their status, their “ijjat”. Little do they realize what their “ijjat” is going to get them in the end. Rational thinking is required in a country where Ration shops are all this country can think of.
The Song Remains The Same 