Musical maestro
Hats off to AR Rahman, the Mozart of Chennai, who has bagged 2 Grammies for Slumdog Millionaire (‘I wish TO SEE more Indians win such accolades’, DNA, February 2). Winning awards seems to have become a habit with India’s best-known music composer. His wins have added another beautiful feather in his cap by pipping big names like Bruce Springsteen.
—Suman Kukal, Chandigarh
Petro prices
The petroleum ministry is reported to have advised the Cabinet that the proposed increases in the prices of petroleum products will have only a marginal impact on general inflation (‘Petrol, LPG may cost more’, DNA, February 4). It has depended on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) with its known limitations. Steel and oil are two major commodities which are basically intermediate products; 90 per cent of their outputs are used elsewhere. An increase in diesel prices leads to increases in freight charges,
fertiliser costs and so on in a cascading effect on the whole economy. WPI measures only the direct result, not the indirect one. The proper methodology to find the total impact of the proposal is to use the Input-Output Tables for the economy.
—A Seshan, via email
Well balanced views
The edit ‘Faulty strategies’ (DNA, February4) was one of the few balanced articles which have appeared in any newspaper. Politicians must stop thinking that people are naive and they will believe anything. Rahul Gandhi made a cardinal mistake by applauding commandos by the region they hail from. He could have shown the country that he has come of age, as a leader of mettle, by playing his cards more carefully. Frustration make people say words they really do not intend to and Congress and Sena leaders have done exactly that. By losing to the BJP on the language and state issue, the Shiv Sena is now on the backfoot. The utterances of its leaders were, unfortunately, given too much prominence by all parties.
— Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
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