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The soothing words which give hope for rational optimism about 2009 “2008: A forgettable year (Business Line, January 5) are coming at the right time.

The author also hints at areas where monetary measures could have been different in 2008 and opens up an agenda for 2009, encompassing mainly the concerns of the corporate sector. Although there is a mention about unemployment and the National Rural Employment Programme, the emphasis is rightly on industrial and export sectors.

As agriculture and small-scale industries are major contributors to the economy, the fiscal and monetary measures in 2009 cannot ignore these sectors.

While admitting that it is imperative to show to the world that India’s growth potential is in tact and inflation is under control, one expects that the interests of the rural sector will be protected by the government and the RBI by ensuring reasonable prices, wages and sources of income in the farm sector and agro-based industries.

In this sector, there are no strong supporters in the print and electronic media to protect the genuine interests by interpreting the impact of various fiscal and monetary measures and suggesting timely corrections, as is available for the corporate sector.

M. G. Warrier Thiruvananthapuram

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