Way out of crying over onions
This refers to the fall in the price of onions. When the prices increased, the government intervened to control the prices. Any price control policy must be favourable to both producers and consumers. The price must be within a range. When prices fall and it this has an adverse effect on farmers, then the government must compensate the farmers. There has been talk about a price stabilisation fund. Why is there no response from the government?
T S Ramanarayan
Free lunch for them, not us
The fact of the matter, the holy truth of the matter, is that there is never a free lunch. Yet, advertisers all over the world con you into believing that there is! And then laugh all the way to the bank.
C A L Mulangunnathukavu
Not a Sena monopoly
Parting ways after 25 years, the Sena has begun targeting the BJP and dubbing it as an enemy of Maharashtra. If so, how could the Sena continue in the NDA Government at the centre? It should have departed from the NDA too, without wasting a single moment. Second, it should bear in mind that Goddess Bhavani Mata, Hindutva (in reality, it is pseudo-Hindutva), the great warrior Shivaji Maharaj and others are not its monopoly, nor its property. Third, its loyalty was always suspect. Despite it being part of the NDA, the people of Maharashtra never forgot about its open support to Pratibha Patil (Congress nominee) and Pranab Mukherjee (Congress candidate) during the presidential poll, its favouring Sharad Pawar for the post of PM and the full support it extended to Indira Gandhi’s Emergency. Its anti-south Indian and north Indian policy is still fresh in the minds of the prudent people of this state. In the current baffling political situation in Maharashtra, it would be no surprised if the Sena gets close to the Congress Party to defeat the BJP.
Sridhar V Kulkarni
Grande dames in distress
The two powerful ladies of the Indian politics, viz., the Didi and the Amma, are in some sort serious of trouble.
The former is facing music over for the alleged Saradha scam; whereas the latter is fighting a legal battle over the Tansi and DA cases. Their respective parties, the TMC and the AIADMK,
have substantial presence in the Lok Sabha, together accounting for about 80 MPs. In order to wriggle out of the ongoing predicament, they may have to extend an olive branch to the ruling BJP, which the latter would be too glad to accept. This can very well become a reality in the light of the likely estrangement of the 18-member SS bloc from the NDA.
Arun Malankar
Salute to judiciary
As law-abiding citizens, we compliment and congratulate our judiciary for its bold judgments.
A case in point is the refusal by Hon Justice A V Chandrashekhara to grant bail to the AIADMK chief and ex-CM of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa. His comment, ‘Corruption amounts to violation of human rights and leads to economic imbalance’ merits the highest respect.
In a similar vein, we remember the judgment of the Allabhabad High Court Justice J M L Sinha, when he disqualified Indira Gandhi for corrupt practices during her election to the Lok Sabha. In the very recent past, people like Harshad Mehta, Ramalinga Raju and Subrata Roy have tasted the bitter judgments of our Judiciary. A strong and fearless judiciary acts in the interest of the nation.
Dharmendra Nagda / Mahendra Oza / Pramod Tejukaya / Sulochana Nitin Bhoj
Made portable gadgets possible
Japanese scientists Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura were awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing an energy-efficient environmental light source. They definitely deserve the prize.
But one Samar Basu, now 70, a metallurgical engineer from Shibpore B.E. College, had developed the Lithium-ion anode, which led to the extensive use of rechargeable batteries. His invention made the use of so many portable electronic gadgets possible. Without such gadgets, modern technocrats would have no ‘mobility.’ Probably very few Indians know his name.
After many years in America, he has now settled down in Kolkata. This letter is not to belittle the achievement of the Japanese scientists, but rather, shed a drop of tear in silence.
N K Das Gupta
Others like Jaya
This refers to the welcome decision of the Karnataka High Court to deny bail to the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa. Even the conviction was possible perhaps because the case was transferred outside her state. It is to be seen how the Supreme Court decides when she goes in for an appeal. But she is not the only CM facing such charges. There are other former CMs too, who have CBI cases against them. But the CBI continues changing its stand according to the requirement of the government of the day. The present government, which says it is committed to a corruption-free regime, should bring back the CBI under the RTI Act.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal
Big billion rip-off
Flipkart ’s ‘Big Billion Day’ sale was a big sham. Most products were ‘sold out’ and many people either failed to log in or complete their transactions. It is outrageous on the part of these companies to play with the sentiments of people and a mere one-line apology to customers does not cut it at all. Is this what passes for customer service? The government should order an enquiry into the whole episode so that business ethics are not compromised and the people are not fooled in the name of heavy discounts.
S N Kabra
