Rein in Rajapaksa

It is amazing that the media, government agencies and the Sinhalese population in Sri Lanka have remained silent about the atrocities committed on Muslims there. This must be taken note of worldwide. It strengthens the belief that the Sri Lankan army did commit atrocities on the innocent Tamil population. Our government should recognise this and do its best to rein in Rajapaksa.

VS Ganeshan

Bangalore

Overly prescriptive

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan’s prescription of ‘moral values’ in lieu of use of condoms for containing the spread of AIDS seems like a good idea but it could have serious consequences for public health if it goes wrong in the real world. It is all very well to extol the virtues of marital fidelity in general terms but we cannot take risks with people’s health and lives.

The thrust of the AIDS campaign on the use of condoms should not be misconstrued as a conscious endeavour to legitimise illicit sexual relationships. We cannot delude ourselves into believing that human nature and behaviour are determined by morals in contrast to biology.

Till such time our society is entirely free from ‘sexual promiscuity’, the minister will do well to advocate “safe sex” and make no haste to condemn condoms as the elastic products of moral turpitude.

G David Milton

Kanyakumari

Balanced response

The article “One regulator too many?” by Ashoak Upadhyay (June 25) is a balanced analysis of Raghuram Rajan’s observations on positions taken by the FSLRC.

Initially, the media had sensationalised the views expressed by the governor who had said the FSLRC had wandered beyond its brief by trying to superimpose a tribunal on the RBI and that he was not comfortable with reinventing regulatory architecture in the banking sector. Those who are still in doubt may visit www.rbi.org.in and read the governor's speech once again.

MG Warrier

Mumbai

We should not reform any sector for the sake of reform. The RBI should have a clear mandate by an Act of Parliament and it should act on this mandate. The NSEL crisis is the latest example for our failed regulatory system. If the FMC was mandated to regulate NSEL and its activities, we would not be in this mess now. Reforms should simplify, never complicate issues. Rajan is right in that sense.

CR Arun

Email

Paltry pensions

The Government’s decision to hike the minimum pension amount alone will not be sufficient. With the escalating cost of living coupled with the fast erosion in money value, there is a strong case for revisiting the Provident Fund Pension scheme. Paltry pension amounts without any upward revision, regardless of whatever is happening in the economy, cannot be considered a sensible social security scheme by any standard.

N Vijayagopalan

Thiruvananthapuram

Environment and growth

This refers to “Environmental concerns do matter” by Divya Vasudev (June 25). In the Indian context, harmonising green concerns with economic growth is as crucial as balancing job creation, inflation and growth. Yet while the latter is under the government microscope, environmental concerns are not. This is perhaps because joblessness and inflation have an immediate political and social impact while the adverse effects of savaging nature are long-term. The Uttarakhand disaster is a warning.

YG Chouksey

Pune

Bad idea

The decision to roll back the train fare hike for suburban trains up to 80 km is incorrect. We are not investing in the infrastructure. On top of such creaking infrastructure we overcrowded. People must realise that in order to get better services, we need investment.

K Kaliprasad

Ahmedabad

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