Letters to the editor: President is right about the trickle effect

This has reference to ‘Trickle effect won’t work in India, feels Presidentda’ (July 26). The President has taken the earliest opportunity to emphasise that the economic agenda set by Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in the West will not solve the problem of poverty in India. It may have been a coincidence that Nobel laureate Dr Stigler, an economist, was emphasising the same (aired on CNN last night) in an interview with a journalist. His contention was that among the developed countries, the United States has the highest disparity among rich and poor. It appears that the same applies to India among the developing countries, where the economic policy being followed since 1991 has resulted in rich becoming richer and the poor remaining poor, as the trickle down effect is not happening since the gravy is too thick at the top.
—JK Gaur, via e-mail

II
Having come out of the executive framework, Pranab Mukherjee’s concern over poverty and terror expressed in his first address after being sworn in as the President of India has only symbolic value.

In our scheme of parliamentary democracy, the President by and large is a titular head of state who acts on the advice of the Union cabinet. Still, there are occasions when the President acts independently with his own discretion. One of such occasion is appointment of the prime minster after the general elections. And in case of a fractured mandate, the President’s role becomes crucial. Having him installed as the President, it won’t be surprising if the Congress party expects him to facilitate Rahul Gandhi’s installation as the prime minister. It is widely believed that the 2014 Lok Sabha election will again deliver a fractured verdict. That will be the real test of the non-partisan player and custodian of the Constitution — what the President is supposed to be.
—MC Joshi, Lucknow

Ayurveda is good
This has reference to ‘Ayurveda is bad for diabetics’ (July 26). The report suggests that patients consume Ayurvedic remedies and do not go to doctors for a regular follow-up and that leads to complications. This is a clear case of self-medication without consulting any Ayurveda expert. The news item clearly defames Ayurveda. It does not mention any incidence where a prescribed Ayurvedic medicine has done harm to a diabetic. In fact, thousands of researchers in the country go on to prove the efficacy of Ayurvedic remedies not only for controlling blood sugar but also for preventing long-term complications like diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy. RA Podar Medical College (Ayu), Worli, has been working in this direction for more than 20 years now. Ayurveda is not bad; on the contrary, it is very good, not only for diabetes, but also for all chronic, metabolic and degenerative disorders.
—Dean, RA Podar Medical College

Mohalla committees
Apropos of ‘No B’desh hand in Assam clashes’ (26 July), the conflict in Kokrajhar that has claimed so many lives and rendered thousands of people homeless is not something new (that area of Assam has seen years of sporadic violence between the indigenous Bodos and migrant Muslims from Bangladesh). The current crisis is huge and threatens the stability of the state as it is still pulling itself together after the disastrous floods. There is an urgent need for the government and army to step in to restore peace and establish the rule of law. But these are short-term measures. Replicating the example of Bhiwandi after 1984, the government, along with the Bodos and Muslims, should set up mohalla committees to monitor efforts towards peace. Along with police and politicians, these committees with respected and accepted members of the different communities, can be a turning point for the area.
—Suren Abreu, Mumbai

Kalmadi barred
This has reference to ‘No Games for Kalmadi, HC rules’ (July 26). It is indeed great news that the Delhi high court has barred the CWG scam kingpin Suresh Kalmadi from attending or representing the country in the London Olympics. The court has remarked that Kalmadi’s presence at the Games would be ‘contrary to national interest’ and ‘an embarrassment to the country’. When the legislature and the executive fail the country quite often, it has been our independent judiciary that has been consistently upholding the moral values. Had it not been for our judiciary, the Kalmadis of our country would have made India the most corrupt republic in the world.
—Chandramohan, via e-mail

Film shoot on trains
This has reference to ‘Shortage of trains hits projects, not film shoots (July 26). It is deplorable to read that the Western Railway authorities could spare trains for film shooting to earn some extra buck at the cost of the hapless commuters who are required to travel in crowded compartments, risking their lives, due to cancellation of trains. It is a criminal offence on the part of railways. It is high time that the government takes up the issue of frequent strikes by WR motormen, disruption of services due to faulty signals/rakes and deaths on the tracks to alleviate the problems of the commuters.
—Sudhakar Shenoy, Mumbai

Pawar and the Congress
This has reference to ‘Congress bends to Pawar ways’ (July 26). The recent stand-off between the Congress and the NCP seems to be an exercise in brinkmanship. After posturing for public attention, both the parties have stepped back from the precipice reluctant to take the plunge, which will inevitably lead to a mid-term poll that both of them do not want. They know only too well that in its present murderous mood, the public will not spare them and both the parties will be decimated in the hustings. If the cunning politicians in both the parties think that by this patch-up work of agreeing to form a coordination committee to sort out their internecine problems, they can sweep the major issues of corruption and scams under the carpet, they are sadly mistaken. People may be appearing to watch their shenanigans helplessly. But, they are just waiting for the chance to teach them a lesson for betraying their trust. The volcano remains deafeningly quiet before eruption.
—VS Kaushik, Bangalore