In his KS Rajamony Memorial Lecture, President Pranab Mukherjee lashed out at Indian lawmakers for their behaviour. He said “No one who holds any elected office has been invited by the voters to occupy that office. Each one has gone to the voters and pleaded for their votes and support.”“Our Legislatures and Parliament must not turn into arenas for combat. Floor tests are not meant to be muscle tests,” he said, in an apparent reference to events in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Recent reports of the UP governor’s dismay at the continuance in the Cabinet of a minister who is wanted in a rape case highlights the decay in public life. Errant individuals would do well to remember the President’s words: “The opportunity to represent the people is not a right or entitlement but a moral obligation and duty. Our elected representatives owe it to the people of our country to act as models of exemplary conduct.”

V Vijaykumar

Pune

Ad hoc mentality

Your edit, ‘Beyond cereals’ (March 6), rightly points out that our country lacks proper policies and guidelines when it come to agriculture. They are mostly political decisions, and ad hoc in nature. The best example is that in a year when there is shortage of a certain farm produce , resulting in high prices, the very next year every farmer wants to produce the same thing, resulting in a glut and sharp drop in prices. We require huge investments to strengthen the supply chain mechanism for which godowns and cold storage facilities are required. This would make commodities available round the year and stabilise prices.

K Ashok Kumar

Kolkata

Dissent’s democratic

There can be no two opinions on the importance of dissent in a democracy. Important matters calling for attention of a government can have more than one solution. It is inappropriate to ignore any views on an issue only because the opinion is from the Opposition. Unfortunately in our country, the views of persons from opposition parties are sometimes ignored for only that reason. In a democracy the views of people from opposing parties should be given equal importance.

TR Anandan

Coimbatore

Daylight robbery

Some banks have announced that effective March 2017, they will charge transaction fees beyond a certain number of withdrawals. This is daylight robbery. Having lured customers to open accounts with tall promises and various free schemes, and on the assurance of providing them service at their doorstep, does this not amount to betrayal of trust? What is the rationale behind this move? Do these banks not have enough money to pay their staff? Or are the staff overworked and transactions beyond five will burden them?Do they have to earn money at the cost of the poor customers?

Sometimes, customers do not want to keep cash at home and withdraw in bits and pieces according to need. Why should they be taxed for withdrawingat their convenience? And who are these banks to put cap on transactions? The banks must immediately withdraw this move.

VS Jayaraman

Chennai

Boost to research

Government support to a project of Hyderabad University will give a boost to research and innovation. Lack of support puts constraints on talent. Our leaders mostly believe in short-term gains and hence are not able to tap the potential of youngsters.

Let the Government call a special meeting of experts from various fields and start a new body to encourage innovations/research in all fields. Many young scientists and engineers migrate to other countries due to lack of government support and other hurdles.

Why can’t the Government recall these scientists by offering various facilities and encouraging innovation and research? If we want development and economic growth, and wish to create employment opportunities for millions of youth, we cannot continue with age-old methods. There is no dearth of talent in India, but a giant push is required to tap this talent.

Veena Shenoy

Thane, Maharashtra

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