Time to clean up the mess
with reference to Pramit Pal Chaudhuri’s article In the company of wolves (January 27), with massive losses being reported globally and startling revelations at Satyam, markets need a re-establishment of trust and transparency. One can well-imagine a spate of job losses as funding dries up in spite of endless fiddling with credit policies. The government must seize the opportunity to clean up the deck, and should consider a comprehensive audit of a few large/medium companies to determine if the existing level of credibility in critical areas of Indian corporate governance is indeed beyond doubt.
R narayanan, via email
The tip of the iceberg
the report Now, PM’s office falls prey to fraud (January 24), has unearthed not only a criminal misappropriation of funds but also the depth of corruption in the government hierarchy. The fact that the fraud has been going on for over two years, and that it was just an accidental observation of a colleague that finally exposed the case, must be a signal of the magnitude of similar frauds and corruption that go unnoticed in various government departments with or without the connivance of senior staff.
TT Sakaria, Delhi
A nation’s collective shame
apropos of the editorial They are thugs, not custodians (Our Take, January 27), the Mangalore episode has shamed the country. Even as we took pride in the growth of our nation on Republic Day, we were forced to think whether we’re also promoting a Taliban-type culture by beating women while talking of women’s empowerment. Even the RSS has disowned the Mangalore hoodlums, and the government must take stern action against the miscreants so that such things are not repeated in the name of religion.
Sadhana Taneja, Delhi
II
The storming of a pub and misbehaviour with girls present there by members of the Sri Ram Sene is disgraceful and must be condemned by all right-minded people. Can a bunch of hooligans, whatever their religious or political persuasion, be allowed to take the law into their own hands? The police must act effectively and nip this disturbing trend in the bud. Lord Rama was called Maryada Purshottam. How can some misguided elements claiming to uphold his ideals behave in the deplorable manner they did?
RJ Khurana, Bhopal
II
The storming of a pub and misbehaviour with girls present there by members of the Sri Ram Sene is disgraceful and must be condemned by all right-minded people. Can a bunch of hooligans, whatever their religious or political persuasion, be allowed to take the law into their own hands? The police must act effectively and nip this disturbing trend in the bud. Lord Rama was called Maryada Purshottam. How can some misguided elements claiming to uphold his ideals behave in the deplorable manner they did?
RJ Khurana, Bhopal
III
The shameful Mangalore incident, on ‘Girl Child’s Day’ no less, begs the questions whether women in India have the freedom and right to make choices anymore? How long are we to bear the brunt of crimes like female foeticide, dowry, rape and assault. It would be inimical to the progress of society if women are not given their due space and respect.
Rashmi Chouhan, Indore
A ray of light
apropos of N. Chandra Mohan’s article Jai ho, urban squalor! (January 27), instead of criticising the West for showing the truth about our slums, the recent exhortation by P. Chidambaram to Indian banks to help slum-dwellers should be seen as a positive opportunity for them to rise above poverty and despair.
K Venkataraman, Delhi