Comments
“Adding some masala to management lessons” by Padmini Sharatkumat (October 22) expressed my thoughts exactly. It’s a brilliant article, loaded with humour. In fact, I always wonder why young mothers don’t follow these simple yet very effective kitchen management tecniques in their daily lives. Like my dad always said , even Gandhi had only 24 hours but look how much he achieved.
Vasanti Gopal Rao
Portable PF
It is no doubt heartening that the BJP government has taken steps to make EPF accounts portable and has used computer technology to stop cumbersome procedures of transferring PF accounts of employees when they switch jobs. But I would like to point out a corrupt practice prevailing in some PF offices across the country. The officers/clerks in charge of PF accounts demand a small percentage of the amount as commission when the subscribers withdraw money from their accounts. If they (subscribers) try to avoid giving the commission, they won’t get their money soon. With which technology can the Government stop this corrupt practice?
S Ramakrishnasayee
Ranipet, Tamil Nadu
Stop the looting
It is welcome to see that the NDA government has started filing charges against individuals with illicit accounts in Swiss banks. The move has set off speculation that some prominent politicians may figure on the list. Politicians, both ruling and opposition, want to block the release of the names. It means our legal system is flawed. Politicians looting the country are more treacherous than underworld dons. If the Modi government, sticking to its election promise, releases the names, it will be doing a great favour. All those blacklisted should be debarred from politics and sent to jail. The loot money should be declared a national treasure. Parliament should propound strict laws so no politician can loot the nation anymore.
KA Solaman
Alappuzha
Ottawa shootings
The multiple shootings at the National War Memorial and Parliament in Ottawa have once again flagged the continuing conflict between the West and the Islamic world. They have served as a grim reminder that forces at the receiving end of the West’s military action or those frustrated by it do everything in their power to retaliate.
No part of the western world is immune to attacks and can be regarded as a safe zone any more. Canada ‘s decision to join the US-led military campaign in Syria and Iraq seems to have brought it on the radar screen of extremist Islamists. A fact the West ignores at its own peril is that troubling numbers of Muslim youth in the West itself are getting attracted to jihadi ideology and are being radicalised solely due to the West’s blitzkrieg of Muslim states on the pretext of fighting terrorism.
It is not right on our part to be selective in our condemnation of crimes against humanity. The US, Britain, Canada and others in the West are predominantly Christian nations. But there is nothing Christian about what they do on the global stage on the strength of their military superiority. Their foreign policy is based on the principle that might is right. Unless the West realises the futility of war and retreats from the path it has chosen, there will be no let-up in the kind of violence we saw in Canada.
G David Milton
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
Business and politics
The answer to C Gopinath’s poser, “Can businessmen make good politicians?” (October 22) is: Why not? We have seen personalities from tinsel town such as Ronald Reagan, MGR, NTR, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jayalalithaa making a mark in politics. Businesspersons too can become credible and effective politicians. What is required is that they must become thick-skinned, be ready to stand ‘the heat in the kitchen’ and be prepared for the long haul. . If she/he acts and behaves with the best interests of the nation at heart, she/he deserves a chance.
CG Kuriakose
Kothamangalam, Kerala
Grand revelation
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s assertions that “Congress would be embarrassed by the names of persons stashing black money when it is disclosed in the court” and that the BJP has no reason to be worried shows that the Grand Old Party could come face to face with the bitter truth after all. If the grapevine is to be believed, there are many moneybags within the Congress who have stashed their ill-gotten wealth in foreign banks abroad. Once the details enter the public domain automatically when revealed in court, the offenders will be caught on the wrong foot.
NJ Ravi Chander
Bangalore
No fear
In all humility I must say that no one genuinely interested in the progress of Indian agriculture will be interested in “selling fear” as suggested by MR Subramani in “GM crops: Giving truth a chance” (October 22). Having been to China I know precisely the situation there with regard to GM crops.
RNA-mediated biotechnology in plant science is at the very periphery of sound science. As chairman of the independent expert committee constituted in response to a PIL on GM crops and Bt brinjal in the Supreme Court, I was aghast by the blatant violation of basic scientific protocol and field and laboratory testing and false results of Bt brinjal by a private company, a subsidiary of an agribusiness behemoth headquartered in the US. The technical expert committee constituted by the Supreme Court on the larger question of GM crops arrived at a similar conclusion.
It is my considered opinion that GM technology is no panacea for the ills Indian agriculture is suffering from, least of all, food insecurity. A large amount of GM crops in the US is fed to livestock, and not consumed by human beings. The writer makes a valid point about soybean oil imported into India. But who is to control all the trafficking in vegetable oil import? I am concerned that part of the World Food Prize in 2013 went to Robb Fraley, CTO of Monsanto, facilitated by an Indian agricultural scientist. As for “Golden Rice”, it has been around for almost a decade and a half, and surrounded by as much controversy as the GM crops under cultivation.
KP Prabhakaran Nair
Save PF
The Employees' Provident Fund is today the default retirement vehicle for Indian employees, contributions to which are deducted compulsorily from employees and matched by employers (“Portable PF”, October 22). Either due to lack of awareness or deliberately, employees consider it better to withdraw their PF every time they change jobs. Many lose the amounts deposited in the SLI C accounts or the Family Benefit Scheme if they fail to maintain and provide the accounts themselves.
PF is dependable and trustworthy. Employers have to maintain the accounts systematically and scientifically, and not compel the employees to do that. It is the responsibility of the employer, or the Government to distribute the amounts to the employees at the time of retirement. It is good if Portable PF could lead to better social security cover and address the issue of dormant accounts. LIC makes employees lose due to their inaction while private insurance companies exploit their ignorance. The Government should check this and ensure previous dues are paid to retired employees.
TV Jayaprakash
Palakkad, Kerala
Comments
COMMENT NOW
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.