Now that we've pulled off the Games, let the inquiry begin
The editorial After the razzle dazzle (The Pundit, October 14) rightly states that India successfully pulling off the Commonwealth Games should not be an excuse to exonerate the corrupt officials, who maligned the nation's reputation during the run-up to the Games. The government should look into all the cases of corruption and punish the guilty.
M L Bhatia, via email
India's position of advantage
This refers to the editorial No place for nice guys (Our Take, October 14). Becoming a UN Security Council (UNSC) member and consequently being able to present India's viewpoint on international problems in a global forum should not make the government oblivious of India's internal problems. We should use this opportunity as a stepping-stone to get permanent membership in the UNSC. Now India should try to shift global attention to South Asia, its potential and problems.
Janaki Narayanan, via email
II
India's dream of becoming a UNSC member has finally been realised. It's a matter of immense pride for the nation. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his aides should be congratulated for their hard work and dedication in making this possible. It's encouraging that almost all countries backed India's nomination. But it also means that there are a lot of expectations of us. India should not shy away from accepting any challenge and should use the platform to realise its ambition of becoming a superpower.
Ashok Goswami, Mumbai
Starved of welfare schemes
Abhijit Patnaik rightly argues that development in India doesn't benefit the poor (What India's growth story conceals, Big Picture, October 15). Malnutrition among children up to five years is rampant in rural India. Our dismal performance in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) exposes the government's failure to eradicate hunger from India, as it had promised. There is a need to formulate and implement social welfare schemes and ensure that their benefits reach those who need it the most. Loopholes in the public distribution system should also be plugged.
Yugal K Sharma, Faridabad
Starved of welfare schemes
Abhijit Patnaik rightly argues that development in India doesn't benefit the poor (What India's growth story conceals, Big Picture, October 15). Malnutrition among children up to five years is rampant in rural India. Our dismal performance in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) exposes the government's failure to eradicate hunger from India, as it had promised. There is a need to formulate and implement social welfare schemes and ensure that their benefits reach those who need it the most. Loopholes in the public distribution system should also be plugged.
Yugal K Sharma, Faridabad
II
With reference to Samar Halarnkar's article Now, the bad news (Maha Bharat, October 14), while India's exceptional performance in the Commonwealth Games is exhilarating, the news of high levels of malnutrition in the nation is disappointing. Over the years, if all the schemes aimed at alleviating hunger had returned desired results, India could have won many more gold medals in the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games.
R K Malhotra, Delhi
Consider all shades of opinion
With reference to the editorial Blind alley in the Valley (Our Take, October 15), the new panel of interlocutors must take into account the grievances of all political sections and, of course, of the people of Kashmir. Even hardliners should understand that Kashmir's secession from India is not viable, as it's a matter of time before Pakistan is declared a failed State.
Ashok Kaul, via email
II
The separatists in the Valley rejected the Centre's eight-point agenda for Kashmir without evaluating its merits or downsides. Such rigidity on their part will make it difficult for the interlocutors to arrive at a consensus. Let's hope that the panel will propose a definite solution and not give into the separatists' demands of giving more autonomy to Kashmir.
Manish Garg, Noida