Support syndrome

This is with reference to the editorial, ‘A measured step’ (June 19). If the monsoon fails for five years continuously, will the agricultural surplus States continue to produce surplus? Should we give differential rate of minimum support price and farm subsidy to the poor farmers who have less land holdings and income?

Mathivanan P

Email

It is suggested that the scheme of minimum support prices may be shifted from the purview of the Centre to the concerned State(s). If necessary, the Centre may advance funds to the States for the purpose of procurement.

K Mundanad

Email

Emergency woes

Mentors know the minds of their proteges well. LK Advani’s long mentoring of Narendra Modi qualifies him more than anyone else to speak on the possible co-relation between what the incumbent Prime Minister is capable of doing and what may be in store for the country.

The veteran’s perspicacious ‘Emergency’ remark has accentuated concerns over the ruling dispensation’s scant regard for democratic institutions and civil liberties (‘I fear a repeat of Emergency’, June 19). The octogenarian’s observation that ‘forces that can crush democracy are stronger now’ cannot be dismissed as a mere swipe by a sidelined leader at the Prime Minister and the forces rallying behind him. This is not to deny that Advani’s credentials to speak in defence of civil liberties are suspect, given his past. But for him, there would not have been a retreat from secularism.

More to the point, when democratically elected governments headed by leaders with an authoritarian streak find themselves unable to have their way and lose public support, they sometimes resort to undemocratic means like the imposition of Emergency for the continued exercise of power in the name of ‘larger public good’.

G David Milton

Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Just let them roll

Poonam Muttreja has juxtaposed the NDA approach on policies with that of the UPA’s, and lucidly chronicled India’s health scenario in ‘Despite odds, there’s hope of healthy India’ (June 19). The slew of welfare measures undertaken by the BJP-led NDA is aimed to benefit the people.

It is imperative to fix accountability and responsibility on the people who matter, lest the allocated funds are siphoned off by vested interests. With a drought-like situation looming large, following the IMD forecast of deficient rainfall this time around, the Rural Development Ministry is taking steps to increase the number of working days under MGNREGA from 100 to 150 in the areas affected to ensure nobody suffers from starvation. The litany of schemes announced by the Government is good; but the enforcement machinery must ensure that implementation is not delayed, and that the funds are not misused in any quarters.

HP Murali

Bengaluru

Flying high

June 21 being International Yoga Day, Air India will hold celebrations mid-air for the entire week to mark the global event. The cabin crew need to be always well-groomed and good-mannered. They have to present a smiling face and need to be inwardly happy and peaceful. Yoga and meditation are useful tools to achieve this, besides ensuring their physical health and wellbeing. Air India has adopted yoga and meditation as part of its training curriculum. The cabin crew’s job entails considerable physical as well as psycho-social effort, besides jet lag effects. With Air India, yoga can fly really high.

TV Jayaprakash

Palakkad

Bad lessons

The UGC move to discontinue recognition to all open and distance learning courses of Karnataka State Open University beyond 2012-13 has put the careers of thousands of students on the line. It is unfortunate that the university failed to heed to the norms, guidelines and directives issued by UGC and the IGNOU.

NJ Ravi Chander

Bengaluru

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