Saving Jet Airways

With reference to ‘Jet after Goyal” (March 27), the concerted effort of the bankers to save the beleaguered airline at this point of time is a pragmatic step. The financial imbroglio of the airline might be due to bad policy decisions, failed corporate governance, subdued interests of the promoters, unhealthy competition, rising fuel costs, and unfavourable regulatory mechanism. However, as long as there was no mala-fide intention of indulging in money laundering or operational fraud, there is an urgent need to nurse the business back to health to safeguard the interests of the employees, minority stakeholders, and passengers.

Bengaluru

Having successfully test-fired an anti-satellite missile, India has joined the elite space league comprising the US, Russia and China. Mission Shakti is the result of nine years of hard work by our scientists.

By shooting down a Low Earth Orbit Satellite, the mission has been declared successful. India has rightly assured the international community that it would not misuse this new capability.

Hassan, Karnataka

For one hour or so, we were kept in suspense and fright. And then came the announcement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India successfully test-fired an anti-satellite missile and joined the hitherto three-member exclusive and elite club of space powers. However, in the absence of any immediate external threat, people were not that excited over the success of Mission Shakti.

The question whether we could not have done without contributing to the weaponisation or militarisation of space went unasked. Technology-driven space wars are a recipe for the annihilation of the whole human race. Some commentators stressed that India shot down its own low orbit satellite ‘Leo’ in less than three minutes in Kalam Island off the Odisha coast in the Bay of Bengal without realising that it was a test that was carried out. Shooting down the satellite of any other country would have been an ‘act of war’. Further, no enemy satellite has been ever shot down in real warfare by anyone of three powers — the US, Russia and China — in possession of the anti-satellite weapon. Reassuringly, the Prime Minister made it amply clear that India’s newly-acquired capability to destroy satellites was not aimed at any one country as such.

Maruthancode, TN

Minimum Income Guaranteed Scheme (NYAY) announced by the Congress party is one programme that the country had longed-for. Maybe it was an acknowledgement as well of the fact that the economic progress of the poor and deprived to the extent hoped for — which was expected of the liberalisation, privatisation and globalistion of the economy — had not happened. And the increasing inequality in income and wealth had negated the spirit of the tax concessions, tax exemptions, cheaper borrowing costs and the liberal fiscal policy.

Home to about 17 per cent of the world population, the country has the largest number of people living below the international poverty standard. Gandhiji once said: ‘A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.’

Perhaps, Rahul Gandhi has taken a leaf out of Andrew Yang, the American businessman, now a Democrat aspirant in the 2020 presidential election. One of his main campaign goals is to implement a provision for Universal Basic Income, also known as Freedom Dividend, for every American adult. America is an affluent nation, though.

Doubts have been raised about resource mobilisation and fiscal deficit. Experts argue that wealth in the hands of the rich could be taxed, as the State spends to protect it and to conserve its value. Lower tax rates, which helped only to fill the coffers of the rich, could be rationalised. Avenues hitherto untapped could be explored and the concessions which failed to act as vehicles for economic growth, could be withdrawn or replaced. The poor have a reason to rejoice now.

Kozhikode

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