MyVoice: Views of our readers 22nd June 2022

Practice peace and equality

The editorial page article "World must bat for equality of religions"( June 21),most aptly titled comes at a very opportune moment, which, inter alia, points out that "Muslim countries do not have to act as the protector of India's Muslim minority which have full rights to protest against any hurt caused to its religious sentiments by any citizen, through permissible way".

It is also to be borne in mind that it is not for nothing, occasionally, that some so called fringe elements vent out their feelings against a particular minority community solely due to a vitiated civil environment created wholly by it alone., about which some countries may feign ignorance albeit, as reflected by the writers his view that "It is regrettable that minority politics in this country has led to a tendency to deprecate the ideas of nationalism itself and consider the mandate of saluting the national flag or standing up during the singing of the national anthem as imposition on any minority". The world can ill-afford to practise discrimination on grounds of religion, in the interests of peace all around the globe.

Seshagiri Row Karry, Hyderabad

Centre should involve stakeholders

This refers to the news report, "Bitter today, but sweet tomorrow", (The Hans India, June 21). PM's statement is very relevant because it comes against the backdrop of widespread and violent protests against the Agnipath scheme. Irrespective of the merits and demerits of the scheme, it has turned into a burning issue. Also, it is difficult to ignore the fact that this is the third big reform by the Modi-led government to face such a serious opposition.

The land reform bill in its first term and the farm reforms bill in its second term were retreated to avert likely electoral losses despite there being enough reasons to persist with the reforms. The issues that these two aborted reforms set out to address remain, and are likely to have a detrimental impact on the Indian economy. While it is possible the opposition to such reforms was inevitable, it is also possible that their intensity might have been diminished through a consultative process involving all stakeholders, an elaborate detailing of the contours of the reforms.

However, when it comes to the adoption of radical reforms, good intentions and a majority in Parliament may not necessarily translate into instant and universal acceptance. It is up to the government to bridge this gap, even as it maintains its resolve to push ahead.

N Sadhasiva Reddy, Bengaluru

India's economic growth promising

The finance minister's statement that India is facing near-term challenges in managing its fiscal deficit, sustaining economic growth, reining in inflation and containing current account deficit is not far from truth. The IMF also decreased the Indian economy growth rate from 8.7% to 7.8% due to the current unfavourable situation .Observing that the capex budget for 2022-23 was expected to underpin growth, an upside risk to the budgeted level of fiscal deficit had emerged following cuts in excise duties on petrol and diesel .

Rationalising non-capex expenditure has thus become critical, not only for protecting growth-supportive capex but also for avoiding fiscal slippages. This will affect the imports and exports and also value of the rupee. Besides controlling inflation before it hurts recovery of the economy is a real challenge for the planners which is mainly due to the rise in crude oil prices in the global market. The momentum of economic activities sustained in the first two months of the current financial year augurs well for India to continue to be the quickest major economy in 2022-23. Let us hope for the best.

TSN Rao, Hyderabad

Increase libraries in India

This refers to the editorial 'Don't merely read...', though all the book exhibitions are crowded affairs leading one to believe that the habit of reading is alive and kicking, the fact is that these form only a negligible percentage of the population. The younger generation has little time for books. All their knowledge comes from WhatsApp forwards and other social media posts. Very few read even the newspapers. This has also ensured a very limited vocabulary as well as an ignorance of what is happening around. Books also had the ability to fire one's imagination. In today's world everything is explicit leaving nothing to the imagination.

We all get patriotic about Hindi or regional languages. But how many books have been written in regional language during the last decade or so? There is also an acute shortage of libraries in our cities. The situation in semi-urban and rural centres can well be imagined. While many of the advertisers of new residences boast of swimming pools, not a single one has provided with a well-stocked library of books.

Anthony Henriques, Mumbai

Stop ropeways

Cable cars are considered an economically viable mode of public transport system the world over but sadly they are as safe and secure as the experience and competency of the technocrats who build them and also those who maintain them .

The 'Parwanoo Ropeway' should be immediately shut for the public as it is not the first time it has stuck midway and caused a lot of inconvenience and harrowing experience to the tourists.Actually time and again crucial snags occurs in it due to exceedingly poor maintenance and upkeep.

Dr Sunil Chopra, Ludhiana