LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Team India’s winning ways
The incredible 9-0 win in Tests, ODIs and one-off T-20 match all add to Indian cricket team's glory. The recent change of coach did not matter much. Sri Lankans were beaten like a pulp and became a cannon fodder for the resurgent Indian Team. We could win two Test matches by an inning and both the ODIs and T-20 game were won with consumable ease. All the team members played to their capacity and the bowling department came to the rescue when batting failed to live up to the reputation. This is the first time that a visiting nation made a clean sweep to win all the matches.
— CK Subramaniam
What have we gained from DeMo?
The nation has been experiencing for the past 10 months what the RBI is stating today. The exGovernor of RBI Shri Raghuram Rajan said no one can conclusively state that demonetisation was successful and expressed the points that are doing the rounds in the debates taking place throughout the country. The opinion of the exGovernor of have more weightage than anyone else’s opinion, as it has an economic basis. Hence comments such as those who speak against demonetisation do not understand it etc should not be made now. The Government would have benefited if it had payed heed to the advice of the then Governor of RBI. — Jayesh Rane
An absolute failure
Demonetisation was an absolute failure because the government failed to anticipate the economic fallout, in terms of duration and magnitude. This failure was compounded by the fact that subsequent measures have only aggravated and lengthened the duration of the impact on economic growth. Moreover, the government failed to come up with simple,
short-term palliatives or structural growth initiatives on education, settling retrospective tax claims, setting goods and services tax rates in a manner that facilitates rather than impedes activity, tax reduction, and not evolving political and policy consensus on banking nonperforming assets in a systematic and timely manner. It is worth a repeat that demonetisation hurt every nook and corner of the economy.
— Biju Cherian
Teachers’ day
If a country has to make notable progress in various arenas it needs well qualified, dedicated teachers, who can inspire ordinary students to dream extraordinary things. A good teacher is the one who makes students realise that Exams and grades are temporary but only education is permanent & in fact life is the most difficult exam. Teachers are the most responsible and important people of society because their efforts affect the fate of entire world. And no search engine can replace a teacher. The Government should take adequate measures to make the profession of teaching more attractive. Here's wishing all teachers Happy Teacher's Day.
— TS Karthik
Beijing’s games
No doubt Prime Minister Narendra Modi trying his bests in building consensus on terrorism from Pakistan at all the international fora. Whether he will succeed or not time will tell. Hence immediately after ‘dushum-dhasum’ boxing and wrestling in Indo-China post Doklam, the BRICS summit brought new hopes when a Joint communiqué (as per media) released at the BRICS expressed concern about the regional security situation and listed Taliban, ISIL/DAISH, Al-Qaeda and its affiliates including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-eTaiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, TTP and Hizb ut-Tahrir as sources of violence. But there is a vast difference between media report and the relevant quote from the BRICS joint communique: "We support the efforts of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in fighting terrorist organizations. We, in this regard, express concern on the security situation in the region and violence caused by the Taliban, ISIL/DAISH, Al-Qaida and its affiliates including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, TTP and Hizb ut-Tahrir." But the biggest shocking is that it
not names India, but it names them "in regard" to Afghanistan. It means China still in support of the Pakistan. Whatsoever, without going the Joint communiqué, one hopes India and China have extracted assurances from each other in terms of supporting their personal agendas.
— Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee
Cabinet reshuffle for 2019?
The Cabinet eshuffle by Modi Sarkar at last once opted for the educated / well qualified / professional or persons from good positions in government, though aim is to win 2019 elections! Welcome Defence Minister - a woman, it is hoped like most domestic problems being solved by women, the problems with neigbouring countries -Pak and China will too be solved in peace by mutual talks by her! But if needed be with stronger action too. Few of the Bureaucrats now are in the charge of Ministries it is also hoped that they would take the right decisions in public and nation’s interest and implement them to get results -acting more than just bureaucrats only! Let us hope that this reshuffle will prove good for the Modi government and for the aam aadmi!
— Mahesh Kumar