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India must get tough with Pakistan

The editorial “Setback to dialogue” (July 17) demonstrates the earnest desire for peace in the region. However, the present situation warrants that India should make no efforts for talks with Pakistan. How could we try to have friendship with an offender? Tolerance beyond a limit is known as weakness and India is currently showing it.

Despite presenting solid evidence of the ISI’s involvement in the Mumbai terrorists attacks, Pakistan is turning a blind eye to the harsh truth. The Indian government has been hoping against hope.

Leave aside the ills of governance, had the late Indira Gandhi been the Prime Minister today, Pakistan would have been left licking its wounds afflicted by a counter-attack that India would have launched without bothering about the equation that Pakistan has with the US.

Sometimes, consequences of one’s action need to be thought about. Today, Pakistan, the US and perhaps the whole world are watching us curiously and wondering. Could India be that weak? It is time to allot a one-month extension period to Pakistan to act against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks. India should swing into action thereafter.

JAGVIR GOYAL, Patiala

Rupee symbol

The editorial “Rupee arrives” (July 17) was informative and made pertinent observations about the Indian economy. The day may come when other countries will keep the Indian rupee as foreign exchange reserve. But we need to keep our eyes on the road for driving the economy and for achieving the objectives of faster and inclusive growth with control on the food inflation. This calls for concentrating on needs and not greed which makes a case for reducing propensity to consume, increase the propensity to save and invest.

We must look into the concerns for the poor who deserve more than what political parties promise in their election manifestoes. The problem of corruption is inbuilt in our poverty alleviation programmes as has been admitted by our leaders.. There is no need for additional resource allocation for eradicating poverty. Only we must develop zero-tolerance against corruption, especially with regard to our poverty alleviation programmes.

Dr M M GOEL, Chairman, Dept. of Economics, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra

I am unable to understand the hype being created over the new rupee symbol? What difference does make it make to our economy? Surely it is symbolic of India’s newfound self-confidence.

But shall it increase the value of the rupee or the standard of life of the people of the country whose poverty levels are below the poorer countries in the world? This new symbol should inspire all of us to work hard so that we are truly proud of it one day.

BIDYUT KUMAR CHATTERJEE, Faridabad

Pension to the dead

I am shocked to read the news of the old age pension scam (July 15) and that ineligible and dead beneficiaries are drawing crores of rupees as pension.

No laxity should be shown to the officers concerned and exemplary punishment should be awarded to the extent of termination of services of officials concerned, besides recovery.

I would further suggest that sincere and dedicated social workers should be involved in verification and disbursement of the old age pension so that it goes to the real beneficiaries only.

RANI ASRA, Ferozepur

Harvest rainwater
Politicians of Punjab and Haryana may be squabbling over the sharing of the river water, but they do not seem to know how to manage the excess rainwater, which goes waste year after year (editorial, “Managing water”, July 14).
Sharing of river water is one of the major disputes between the states. We have the example of the Satluj-Yamuna link canal dispute between Punjab and Haryana or the Cauvery river waters dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. But nobody cares about tapping the rainwater.
It is time to seriously start a movement of rainwater harvesting, so that precious ground water, which is fast depleting due to short-sighted policies of the government, could be recharged and future generations could be saved from the problem of water shortage.
I agree with the views expressed in the editorial that the current floods are not a natural calamity as the rain was not unexpected or abnormal. Rather both the Punjab and Haryana governments have been complacent about pre-monsoon preparation which includes clearing of canals and strengthening the river-embankments before the onset of the rainy season. There has been official neglect in checking the encroachments and haphazard construction activities which blocked or diverted the flow of rivulets and canals.
So, it is pertinent to fix responsibility for official laxity along with the assessment of losses so that people of the country know what caused the floods and who failed to take the preventive measures. The guilty should be punished so that others learn a lesson. Proper administrative measures and caution could have prevented the loss of precious lives and property.
ARVIND DHUMAL, Jalandhar