Letters to the editor dated December 24, 2020

With reference to the article ‘Taking on China is not Modi’s job alone’, the author has highlighted the crucial role of all stakeholders in making India an industrial superpower. Apple manufacturing here is a huge win for ‘Make in India’ policy. All stakeholders including local government officials, utilities providers, Indian vendors, and workers must feel a sense of pride and ownership in promoting India as a preferred investment destination. Sadly this is not the case and each group thinks of what is in it for itself.

It seems naïve to argue that ‘there was also a lack of understanding of both the legal and regulatory requirements’ on the part of Wistron; but ‘close monitoring and handholding by the administrations’ is the perfect prescription.

Pune

This refers to the article “ Taking on China is not Modi’s job alone “. In hindsight it is easy to blame and scapegoat somebody for a fiasco . At Wistron, violence by workers is unfortunate but overplaying the incident must also be avoided as the incident will soon be forgotten. It is common knowledge that gross violations of labour laws occur in industries and workplaces pan India and are mostly hushed up. As this incident is pertaining to world behemoth — Apple — it hogged the media limelight. It is an exaggeration to say that this one-off incident will dissuade foreign investors from setting up units in India especially those contemplating to shift from China. There are other pressing determinants which are holding back the investors such as red tape, corruption at grass root level, flip flop from the government such as levying retrospective taxes. Why are countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam faring better than us despite the government’s zeal to roll out the red carpet?

Noida

The incidents related to Wistron and TEC brings out the need for concerted efforts and actions.

Wistron, being a MNC must not have delayed or faulted in payment of wages to its temporary and permanent workers. Also working hours were changed unilaterally, compelling the workers to work in 12-hour shifts with more ambiguity on payment for such extended hours.

Monitoring mechanisms by the Centre on departments dealing with companies having a base link with China directly or indirectly need to be tightened.

Chennai

The report by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), pointing to the growing vulnerability of India to adverse weather events, caused byclimate change should serve as a wake-up call for the policy makers to step up efforts to mitigate its devastating effects on the ground. According to the report, more than 75 per cent of the country's districts are hotspots of extreme climate events and are bearing the lethal effects of a rapidly changing micro- climate with a loss of property, lives and livelihoods. Extreme weather events such as floods and crippling drought afflicting majority of the regions in the country at an alarming frequency has made India fifth-most climate-vulnerable country in the world and we cannot afford to adopt a business-as-usual approach. The present State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs) needs both upscaling and capacity enhancement.

Sholavandan (TN)

With reference to the article ‘MSP isn’t a solution to farmers’ woes’ (December 24) — support price is an issue that has been under discussion in public domain for many years, albeit the government’s claim to have increased MSP on several crops time and again. But given the nation’s geographical variations, the cost of production of similar crops varies between regions. Unless there is a scientific method to determine the cost of production vis-à-vis MSP, the entire exercise could prove to be futile which has a direct bearing on doubling farmers’ income by 2022.

Halekere Village (Karnataka)

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