THE issue of price hike has always put governments in a spot of bother; it’s not just a 21st century phenomenon. On Nov 29, 1972, this newspaper reported that prices of essential commodities had registered an increase despite the government’s warning to traders to bring them down. Most of the items were being sold at higher prices causing hardship to the lower middle-class and middle-class segments of society. For example, one seer of atta, which was a week back…