Mamata Banerjee today asked the government to withdraw its decision to decontrol oil prices, the demand coming on a day arch-rival Left announced a weeklong protest from early next month over the petrol price hike. Both spoke of the burden on the masses as the bitter enemies rehearsed for poll battles ahead: in Bengal, where Mamata is looking to topple the Marxists, and in Kerala, where the ruling Left is on...

“Government callous to plight of people groaning under spiralling prices of food items” Nine political parties, including four Left parties, on Thursday announced a week-long nationwide agitation against price rise. The United Progressive Alliance government was callous to the plight of people groaning under spiralling prices of food items, they alleged. “We have decided to jointly conduct a week-long agitation against the price rise from February 3 to 9. During the...

Reeling under the spiraling prices of essential commodities, locals and activists from regional factions staged agitations in several parts of the country to protest the perceived inability of the central government in tackling inflation. The simmering row over inflation boiled over in Agra as activists of regional Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha (SCS) vented their ire through a unique demonstration. Shouting slogans, the student activists traversed the streets of Agra on bullock and horse...

The Trinamul Congress, an ally of the Congress-led UPA government, has decided to hit the streets from tomorrow to protest the rise in prices of petrol and other commodities. The Trinamul announcement today came minutes after CPM labour arm Citu declared a three-hour state-wide public transport strike from 12 noon to 3pm tomorrow to protest the fuel price hike. A Citu protest rally will also be held in Esplanade at 1pm...

There is a suggestion circulating in the corridors of our apex monetary regulatory authority, the Reserve Bank of India, that food inflation is beginning to look more ‘structural’ than ‘seasonal’, and it can only be tackled by addressing the supply side. We need to address both demand and supply sides simultaneously to tackle food inflation. While we must be happy that more and more poor eat fruits and cook vegetables...