Letters to the Editor — October 3, 2018

Gandhiji is as relevant today as he was during the freedom struggle against the British (Editorial page, “The voice that is great within us”, October 2).It is painful that his ideals, principles and his model of life have been neglected and that he has been, regretfully, largely restricted to being the face of cleanliness and sanitation campaigns. We forget that his ideals are still relevant especially when it comes to cleansing the political system that is scarred by corruption. Our political leaders can become more selfless, charitable, simple, dutiful, responsible, tolerant and transparent by following what he said.

Chennai

Whether it is propaganda in the name of the Swachh Bharat Mission or the use of draconian laws to expropriate public resources and repress people, it is clear that the Gandhian values of truth and non-violence are given short shrift, if not totally erased from the practice of state power. This duplicity reduces Gandhi to an empty totem. In order to do justice to Gandhiji’s memory, our educational institutions will do well to recommit themselves to educate students on the place and worth of civil disobedience in the life of a democratically vibrant society and polity. Moreover, the salience of Gandhiji as a critic of capitalism and consumerism is only going to increase in the light of the life-threatening danger humanity is facing due to the greed and power of the few and their exploitation of natural resources. Nevertheless, any remembrance or education in the name of Gandhiji cannot shy away from shining a light on the weak spots in his understanding and articulation of certain phenomena.

New Delhi

In a world increasingly being consumed by violence, hatred and religious intolerance, the time has come to revive Gandhian ideals promoting truth and non-violence. The brilliance of Gandhiji is the timelessness of what he stood for. They offer solutions to many of the festering problems in the world today.

Arrah, Bhojpur, Bihar

It is often argued that Gandhiji is no longer relevant in India. We have given up the charkha, gone in for industrialisation in a massive way, and lapsed into communal frenzy. But for our own ultimate moksha, we must remember that the Gandhi in our hearts is not the Gandhi of prayer meetings, but a person, who, through all of this, made the single greatest contribution towards giving India a modern, liberal democratic state.

Palakkad, Kerala

The rescue bid following the sordid episode around the troubled Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services is a clear reminder of the challenges that lie ahead when it comes to infrastructure financing. There has to be a conscious effort in creating the right institutional model for infrastructure financing as it holds the key to the path of sustainable development.

Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu

The rescue bid only raises more questions. It is surprising that none of the lenders or shareholders raised any concern in public on the potential volcano the company was sitting on. Credit rating agencies are said to have given it a high credit quality. The regulators didn’t find anything wrong with the company as annual accounts were audited and filed. The regulators should explain what they did with all the reports and details filed by the company year after year.

If loan default is viewed so seriously by the government, what about all other cases which are under insolvency proceedings with equally huge amounts at stake? And where the board of directors have not been questioned on their integrity or management skills? The common man and taxpayer need an explanation.

Chennai

The case of type-2 polio virus contamination detected in vials used for immunisation in Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra is a serious lapse. There must be a thorough inquiry and surveillance thereafter. The fight against the disease should not be hampered by carelessness (“Centre initiates probe into type-2 polio virus contamination”, October 2).

Kaithakkal, Alappuzha, Kerala

The selection of the Indian cricket team for the Tests against the West Indies defies logic. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is regarded as the best Indian seamer and he did not play in any of the Tests in England recently due to injury. Now he is fit but “rested”. The most surprising of all is the dropping of Karun Nair. A triple centurion, he was assigned odd jobs in the England series. Why he was chosen at all and why he is being sinned against now?

Thrissur, Kerala