Exclude exclusion

With reference to the news item, ‘Jan Dhan cover: LIC tosses ball back to banks’ by KR Srivats (December 26), we need to change our outlook. The concept of financial inclusion fails when there is an ‘exclusion’ clause in it. Those who tend to benefit from the absence of the exclusions do not live enviable lifestyles. The Insurance Act does prohibit LIC from providing cover without receipt of premium. The same Act also applies to GIC which has covered beneficiaries readily.

The inclusion of 8.78 crore by merely opening an account for them is a drop in the ocean when we have statistics that say that 300 to 400 million people cannot get enough foodgrain. Even micro finance that was the saviour of the poorest is today criticised for being packaged with insurance. Insurance by itself is full of terms and conditions, unlike the simpler concepts of banking and micro finance. So should we separate the two and make micro finance and other small loans more remunerative to the poor borrower? The urgent need is to financially include the poor on a large and sustainable scale.

R Santhosh

Chennai

Typical behaviour

The Airtel proposal to charge voice calls over internet made through applications like Skype is so typical of a private company which has the habit of creating demand and exploiting it. The current government vision of digitising India for integrated development will take a back seat owing to the greed of such players.

Vikram Sundaramurthy

Chennai

Enough sermonising

This is with reference to ‘Why India Inc is getting impatient’ by R Srinivasan (December 25). Now Narendra Modi should concentrate on reforms and development works at the ground level. There is no need for the Prime Minister to deliver sermons, he has to fix issues without delay. His development slogan should become a reality. The government has wasted precious time in the Rajya Sabha; it is solely responsible for the non-cooperation of opposition parties. It has allowed its members to talk nonsense and tried to hurt the sentiments of other classes in society.

It should have concentrated its efforts on the smooth passage of important Bills in the Upper House. Had this been done, there would have been some solace for pro-reformers. We are living in a digital world and the public wants everything fast. The Prime Minister should act fast on this matter.

KNVS Subrahmanyam

Email

Unjust delays

With reference to your edit, ‘Rebooting disinvestment’ (December 26), the Government should prioritise selling loss-making companies first. We lose at least ₹10,000 crore every year running Air India and Indian Airlines. Instead we can invest that money to build new courts so that we can clear the two lakh pending murder cases and the two lakh rape cases. When you get judgements after 10 years, where is the justice?

CR Arun

Email

Moving tribute

That was a moving piece on Raghavendra Rao (‘When moisture softens the camera-eye’ by Sadanand Menon, December 26). I had known him intimately during my Madras days. Often I made him write for the Financial Express Sunday arts page. His review of the film Sankarabharanam drew harsh words though the recipient was not him but me. When I told him, he had his usual laugh throwing his head back and warned me against making him write.

MK Das

Kochi

From the moist eye to the ‘wet’ print, it’s a moving tribute. Apart from his million news pictures, I recall the one of (well-known violinist) Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu lighting a cheroot. There was no violin; there was music.

Unny

New Delhi

Thank you for this wonderful recapturing of Raoji. We were all so lucky to have had him and known him in our lives. He saw differently. Compassionately but dispassionately. With precision and with love. And we can say that of very few.

Sivagami S

Online

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