After Home minister P Chidambaram's remark on middle class was both accepeted and rejected by them. Governance Now talked to the common man for their response. Here is what people have to say.

“The government has to decrease the price of basic food items. Even if people cannot afford mineral water or ice-cream, it won’t be a big deal. But fuel, vegetables are everyday need. I do not feel the pinch of inflation. But the government should think of everyone, just not the upper class,” said Renu Jain, a housewife.

“There has been enough of price rise. Potato prices went up from Rs 8 per kg to Rs 20 per kg. Mineral water is not an everyday need. Vegetables are. I do not go shopping in the mall everyday nor can I afford such costly items,” said Sumitra Goswami, who works in the postal department, Meghalaya.

“Chidambaram said the right thing. Price rise is a sign of progress. If prices remain constant, how will the economy grow? If prices of commodities are increasing, so are our salaries. I am a middle-class man and I can afford to visit a mall. It is possible only because of progress,” said Rajinder Prasad, a government employee.

“Fuel is an everyday requirement. Even if people want to buy ice-cream, they need fuel to go and get it. You will have to consider everyone including the EWS whose primary mode of travel is public transport. If fuel becomes expensive, the ticket prices will also go up. The statement made by Chidambaram is not satisfactory at all,” said Praveen, an employee with a multi-national company.

“One can’t have ice-cream daily for lunch and dinner but vegetables , cereals and wheat are the everyday requirements of a household, and the rapid inflation is affecting the our daily budgets,” said Nevedita Gupta, a housewife.

“The insensitive quote made by the Home Minister sitting in his air conditioned office is not appreciable as it affects the middle class,” said Saurabh, a sales manager.

“I find the comment logical. We, the citizens of India lack the basic understanding of sustainable development. Petrol and diesel can be saved by car pooling but everyone in the name of privacy and status prefers travelling alone even if their destination is common,” said Akhilesh, a marketing guy.

“We have substitutes for water and ice-creams, so one can either skip having it, or buy a Rs 5 ice-cream instead of a Rs 15 one but there are no substitutes for petrol. We need to buy it for how much ever the government charges and so, the common man is forced to make hue and cry,” said Ajay Sharma, a chemical engineer.

 “Ice-creams are eaten once a while but chappati and rice is the basic necessity of all, so obviously the increase in its prices will adversely affect any average income earner,” said Heema, a housewife.