A strong bond
Former President Pranab Mukherjee not only lives in the hearts of Indians but also in the hearts of Bangladeshis (Page 1, ‘Special’, October 18). The love and respect Bangladeshis have for the former President is overwhelming. There are forces out to divide people in the name of religion, but the underlying spirit of oneness between India and Bangladesh must not be left forgotten.
Poojitha Viswanath,
Thottakara, Ottapalam, Kerala
Toy story
The quadruple whammy, in the form of cheap Chinese imports and the pandemic, demonetisation and introduction of GST, is squeezing the life out of domestic toy manufacturers (‘Ground Zero’ page, “Far from a happy toy story”, October 17). As an important first step, the Centre needs to impose a ban on Chinese toy imports. Additionally, a reduction in the Goods and Services Tax to the lowest slab needs to be implemented, by considering toys to be educational aids.
In terms of marketability, the G.I. tag of the toys can be leveraged and these toys presented to visiting Heads of State or Governments as a souvenir. These toys should also be handed out to the Padma, Arjuna, other sports and film awardees as a memento along with the respective awards. The government can also consider purchasing these toys in bulk and giving them to its schools for gifting to students below a certain age. “Play or Display” should be the slogan these toys should be marketed under.
Lastly, the Centre should also carry out an educational blitzkrieg, targeting the major importing countries, about wooden toys being safer.
V.V. Koushik,
Chennai
Biometric ration supply
It is great that India, at almost all levels, is improving after the introduction of many changes. One such step is having electronic authentication for ration supply. However, there is a spoke in the wheel. With poor connectivity, the machine does not work and there are frequent scenes of people being made to wait long hours and then asked to return home to try their luck another day.
I have observed that not all provisions are supplied on the same day. It could be rice one day, dal another, and oil some other day. Each time, the individual concerned has to come in person and affix his thumb impression — that is if the machine is working. It is sad that it is an uncertain situation for the elderly, the disabled and the poor. Till now, in Tamil Nadu, the poor did not have to worry about their basic needs as a result of the Public Distribution System. But with an ‘insistence’ on electronic authentication, I fear that many an elderly or disabled person will face hunger. There should be an alternative way to supply provisions when the machine does not work .
Dr. Jessie Lionel,
Vellore, Tamil Nadu
