Rahul Bose and Banana

Indian actor Rahul Bose ordered couple of Bananas to his room in JW Marriott in Chandigarh, India. He was billed Rs.440 ($6) - almost $3 a piece. The actor went Bananas and twisted it.

No question it is highly priced. But I am not surprised. I have seen Samosas priced at Rs.100 ($1 and 25 cents) inside flights inside India. The same would cost less than 10% of that price in decent  hotels in Bhubaneswar, Rs.5 a piece across the street from our house in the Old Town neighborhood. It costs much more in bigger cities like Mumbai and Bangalore. This is called Capitalism. So, it is not something out of the ordinary in a 5 star hotel. 

The price of an item is not determined by social media economists, rather by supply to demand ratio, factoring in the purchasing power of the consumer. I know middle class folks like me in Odisha who won't mind paying an hefty amount for a Banana depending on place, time and circumstances (STHANA, KALA, PATRA). 

Recently I ate a regular MEETHA PAAN (Sweet Betel) for $2 in Atlanta. The same would cost almost the same in Bhubaneswar. So, what's the fuss about !!! It's another  thing to protest against price gouging - Yet actor Rahul Bose earns enough to pay that amount. He was free to cancel his room service order and step out to get the fruit at much cheaper rate if he was too price conscious. It will take a while for us to get over the hangover of socialism. 

In the context, I am reminded of this Odia song from eminent singer Akshay Mohanty from late 1970s.

HASA TA LAKHE TANKA
CHALI TA ANKA BANKA;

RAGILA NAALI LANKA

RUSILA OOI HUNKA

TA GHARA KU BATA KHARCHA,

ADHEI TANKA.

(Her smile is worthy of Rupees One lakh
Her manner of walk is zig zag;
Her anger is like red chilli
She being upset is akin to  termite hill;
The traveling expense to her home
Is 2 and 1/2 rupees).

These days 2 and half rupees will not take one beyond 10 feet in the cheapest bargain one can get for a rickshaw. A guy has to be exceptionally lucky to find such a girl close by in an age when couple of Bananas cost more than 400 Tanka.