Letters to the Editor — October 6, 2018

The Congress should take Mayawati’s decision not to strike an alliance with it as a challenge to go it alone in the upcoming Assembly polls (“Short-term window,” Oct. 5). The move by the Bahujan Samaj Party supremo should galvanise the Congress and prod its workers to present a united front. Creditable performances in the elections will not only serve as a much-needed boost to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party but also improve the party’s bargaining power while stitching alliances in the run-up to the general elections.

Kothamangalam

The Rafale revelations have brought major embarrassment to the Central government, with the Defence Minister and other leaders giving wishy-washy arguments against accusations of corruption (“Has the government lost the perception battle on Rafale?” Oct. 5). It is difficult to fathom that a defence company created just few days before the deal was given the contract for the most sophisticated fighter plane and the expertise of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, which has produced various fighter jets and continues to provide defence equipment to the armed forces, was ignored. If there was no graft or nepotism, why not initiate a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe?

Noida

The timing of the Centre’s decision to effect a moderate, yet significant, hike in minimum support prices (MSP) for rabi crops gives an impression that it was done to improve the BJP’s electoral prospects in the upcoming Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (“Fields of concern,” Editorial, Oct.5). In the present kharif season, most crops are already selling way below the MSPs announced in July. Lack of credibility in fixation methodology and ineffective enforcement have cast a big shadow over the utility of the MSP mechanism. The interests of farmers will be best served if the government removes all restrictions on marketing, storage and transportation of produce.

Sholavandan

The article “Presuming the disabled to be incompetent” (Oct.4) highlights the hurdles people with disability face. One, engaging a scribe is not free. Two, there is the issue of communication gap between the scribe and the student. However, evaluation need not be limited to written answers. We can have a simple and inexpensive recording system through which the questions and answers can be communicated in the audio format. The evaluator can then grade the examinee by listening to these clips. Rapid strides in technology have changed the way people with disability gain knowledge and marking need not be done through outdated procedures.

Bengaluru

The article “A manifesto of dissent” (Oct. 5) is in line with Justice D.Y. Chandrachud’s statement: “Dissent is the safety valve of democracy.” Dissent has an even greater significance in a society like ours where radicalism and intolerance are rampant. It serves the purpose of highlighting the differences between mainstream ideologies and minority viewpoints which, in turn, widen the horizons of our cognitive abilities in political, social and cultural spheres. Good disagreement is central to the progress of any democracy. In this light and as the flag-bearers of progress, we need to have more dissenters.

Lucknow

Though young Prithvi Shaw is abundantly talented, we should not forget that the West Indies is not the real opposition to test one’s potential (“Shaw announces his arrival with scintillating century,” Oct. 5). The Australian tour on bouncy tracks will be a different ball game and is likely to test even the very best. Hence, the euphoria surrounding his century needs to be tempered.

Tirupur