This is with reference to the news item “Farmers' concerns and larger goals” ( Business Line , August 2). Of course, there is a need for land for non-agricultural activities such as infrastructure development, industrial units and urban development. It isn't a lacuna to take land for such non-agricultural activities. But the Government has the responsibility of encouraging farmers to continue agriculture using modern techniques and prevent them from moving to towns and cities in search of employment.

Land acquisition shouldn't lead to farmers being evicted from rural areas; instead help them resort to productive agriculture by continuing to stay in villages. They can also develop small and medium agro-based industries. This will be a panacea for reducing urbanisation of farmers. Land acquisition and the welfare of the farmers selling their land must go hand-in-hand to settle major issues such as food inflation. The compensation given to farmers must be adeqaute to develop agro-based industrial ventures in villages.

Dr. N. R. Nagarajan, Sivakasi

A question of faith

Although the news item “Shape of religious trajectories to come” ( Business Line , August 1), has a holistic approach to religion, it has missed a unique and very significant aspect of the Indian faith.

The truth is that India never had a religion in the past. It didn't need one. It was the other faiths that created an identity for Indians as a religious majority. The British corporatised this and labelled it as Hindu. The Vedas, and more importantly, the Upanishads, don't talk of a ‘religion' or ‘faith'. They talk of two subjects, the means to realisation of ‘truth' and an indication of ‘truth' as experienced by the rishis. Indian faith contains eternal values, which apply to all mankind. The greatest disservice the British did was to call us ‘Hindu' and most of our problems arose because of this.

K. V. Narayanmurti, Kerala

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