Tackle poverty to save children
This refers to the article Question of our future (Chanakya, July 15). India has the dubious distinction of having the world’s largest number of child workers and sexually-abused children. But state and central governments are yet to act against these problems. Abject poverty is the root cause of various problems involving children. So, to tackle malnutrition among children, child labour and abuse, the State should find ways to first end poverty.
GK Arora, Delhi
II
The sight of children begging on traffic signals or sleeping on streets makes me wonder how much talent is going to waste due to the government’s inaction. We are indeed putting the nation’s future at risk.
Kajal Chatterjee, Kolkata
The threat is for real
This refers to Himanshu Vyas’s article Towering trouble (The Big Story, July 15). By 2013, according to a study, India will have one billion mobile phone users. This will req-uire at least a million base stations/mobile phone towers. If we go by the article, this will pose a big risk to the health of millions of people. The government must take steps to reduce the permissible limit of radiation from mobile phone towers. It could, like Switzerland, put a cap on radiation. India can also follow the Chinese model and put strict limits on the number of 3G gadgets.
RRN Prasad, Gurgaon
II
The article confirms that radiation from mobile phone towers and cellphones are bad for health. There are two types of radiation: thermal and non-thermal. The effects of the former can be felt when a person uses cellphones for long hours. It results in headache and sleeping disorder. The latter is so powerful that an overexposure to non-thermal radiation can lead to cancers.
Rashmi Kumari, via email
III
All telecom companies should adhere to the radiation norms prescribed by the World Health Organisation. They should install towers away from residential localities. It is also the responsibility of resident welfare associations to ensure that there are no cellphone towers in their respective areas.
Mahesh Kapasi, Delhi
The PM hasn’t done enough
With reference to Indrajit Hazra’s article Underachievergate (Red Herring, July 15), there is a valid reason for Time magazine’s calling Prime Minister Manmohan Singh an “underachiever”. Singh is a capable leader, but he is by far India’s weakest prime minister. He could have done a lot for the nation if he could take decisions independently. As a result, his image has taken a severe beating. I believe that Singh would have rejected the position in 2004, when it was offered to him, if he knew that he would be reduced to a puppet in the hands of the Congress president.
M Kumar, via email
II
Hazra’s analysis is correct; Singh has not lived up to the people’s expectations. He’s lost all the goodwill he earned as finance minister in the 90s. Singh may be an asset to the UPA and the Congress party, but he is slowly becoming a liability for the country.
Bal Govind, Noida
The PM hasn’t done enough
With reference to Indrajit Hazra’s article Underachievergate (Red Herring, July 15), there is a valid reason for Time magazine’s calling Prime Minister Manmohan Singh an “underachiever”. Singh is a capable leader, but he is by far India’s weakest prime minister. He could have done a lot for the nation if he could take decisions independently. As a result, his image has taken a severe beating. I believe that Singh would have rejected the position in 2004, when it was offered to him, if he knew that he would be reduced to a puppet in the hands of the Congress president.
M Kumar, via email
II
Hazra’s analysis is correct; Singh has not lived up to the people’s expectations. He’s lost all the goodwill he earned as finance minister in the 90s. Singh may be an asset to the UPA and the Congress party, but he is slowly becoming a liability for the country.
Bal Govind, Noida
Let’s wait and watch
This refers to Srishti Jha’s article Indisingles on the rise (Focus, July 15). Congratulations to the writer for a well-researched article. These days, quite a lot of youngsters prefer to stay single for various reasons. It’s too early to predict whether this trend will have good or bad effects in the long run.
Karan Kumar, via email
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