Greedy politicians

This is with reference to the interview with P Chidambaram, ‘The poor are not on government radar’ (October 26). If we are still talking about malnutrition, hunger-related deaths and food security 70 years after becoming independent, the blame lies solely on the successive governments which did not think beyond vote-bank politics.

Had we concentrated on long-term policies of economic growth and development, today we would not have to spend on food security and subsidies. Besides, often money meant for the poor is siphoned off by middlemen and doesn’t reach the needy. Despite possessing abundant natural resources, India is a poor nation with drastic inequality mainly due to the selfish attitude of our lethargic and power-hungry politicians.

Veena Shenoy

Thane, Maharashtra

Silly controversy

It is unfortunate that President Ram Nath Kovind’s glowing tribute to Tipu Sultan as a hero and innovator on the historic occasion of the diamond jubilee of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru has triggered an ugly political confrontation. The ‘Tiger of Mysore’ was ruthless when dealing with his foes and selflessly guarded his kingdom against the threats of ravaging invaders. He died a valiant death fighting the British during the fourth Mysore War. Besides, Tipu’s contribution to rocket technology, administration, tree plantation and the arts merits admiration and awe. Though the BJP may have its reasons for condeming Tipu his place in history cannot be denied.

NJ Ravi Chander

Bengaluru

The invocation of Tipu Sultan was unwarranted, especially when the BJP is opposed to the move of the Siddaramaiah government to celebrate Tipu Jayanti. The ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP in Karnataka have been sparring over the issue every year. This being a sensitive issue, the Presdient’s speech writer should have exercised common sense.

In fact, celebrating the diamond jubilee of the Vidhana Soudha itself was not in good taste considering the fact that only recently people died in the recent rains.

KV Seetharamaiah

Hassan, Karnataka

Structural remedies

With reference to your editorial, ‘The big bailout" (October 26), every practising banker spends more time following up on existing advances than applying quality time processing new loans. Though sufficient funds are available with the banking system, the preoccupation with existing loans coupled with a defensive mindset are the real reasons for the slowdown on credit offtake. One way of getting people to repay loans promptly is to incentivise borrowers with a token interest rebate. Besides, the judicial system has to give importance to the obligations of borrowers to banks as laid down in the terms and conditions of the agreements entered into by them.

P Esakki Muthu

Email

Scary picture

It’s good that the deadline for linking of Aadhaar to bank accounts, mobile numbers, etc has been extended till March 31. Getting the entire population of the country under this scheme is a very big exercise and it requires a lot of time to do it. However, as a citizen of India, I have a question: Is there any way to make our faces normal in the Aadhaar card? We are unrecognisable. “Is my face so bad?” is the question people ask themselves when they look at their Aadhaar cards. And it is supposed to be the foundation for a strong future!

S Ramakrishnasayee

Ranipet, Tamil Nadu

Principled stand

There is more to Nandan Nilekani’s revelations on the controversy surrounding the acquisition of Panaya by Infosys and other allegations against Vishal Sikka. Nandan, while clearly giving a clean chit to Sikka, made sure he didn’t hurt Narayana Murthy. He even termed Murthy’s allegations “well-intentioned”. By doing this he showed what corporate governance is all about: truly, Infosys’s philosophy, “Powered by technology, driven by values”, is a perfect description of what the company stands for.

GK Murthy

Bengaluru

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