Solid horse-sense marks your editorial ‘Reason badhao’ (October 6). The private large-scale manufacturing sector (7 per cent of the work force is employed there) has seen very slow employment growth while the Central and state governments can’t increase employment significantly by hiring more people. Hence, unorganised sector jobs need to grow, but this requires economic growth. Providing 100 days per year of work to all able-bodied rural job-seekers is another UPA promise but employment guarantee schemes, meant to cope with calamities like drought, are being sought to solve chronic problem. The government cannot give jobs; it can create an environment where the economy grows well. We need a concerted campaign to match China in the game of globalised production, through rationalisation of customs and excise and VAT, removal of small scale sector reservations (even if gradually), easing FDI procedures, and reforming labour laws. Only then can Indira Gandhi’s 1972 ‘Garibi Hatao’ cry match Manmohan Singh’s slogan of 32 years later, ‘Rozgar Badhao’. — Vinod Chowdhury Delhi Who’s in charge? • Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s advice to the babus to work without favour or fear is just a sermon as a preacher, not to be practiced (‘Work without favour, fear: PM to babus’, IE, October 14). In fact, the the Sonia-Singh UPA duo itself is yielding to the pressure of the “mighty” Left dictated by Surjeet, Yechuri, Bardhan and Raja. Literally the Left is running the government, and Laloo Prasad Yadav is filling up the remaining gaps. — F.S.K. Barar Jodhpur • Such moves will definitely motivate secretaries to the Government of India. — M.K. Nema Mumbai Censored vision • The unceremonious removal of Anupam Kher as chairperson of the Censor Board is very shocking and uncivilised, to say the least. The manner in which Left Front leaders targeted him and used words like “detoxification” reminds us of purges in Europe. This is totally uncalled for in a democratic society. I feel such words only divide us further and becomes focal points for another dispensation to follow similar trends, when their time comes. — T.P. Sampath Gurgaon Food for thought • It has been reported that the Supreme Court has directed all states and Union territories to fully utilise the state and Central funds under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) for providing mid-day meals to schoolchildren. The introduction of mid-day meals in schools has greatly improved attendance and has also substantially reduced the number of school dropouts. The increase in literacy, particularly among the poor, is mainly due to the introduction of mid-day meals. The directive of the Supreme Court, if properly implemented, will go a long way in removing mass illiteracy. — V.S. Venkatavaradan Salem Wheels of failure • Now coach John Wright is just coming out with excuses for India’s poor performances (‘India hopes for Armstrong’s cycle of success’, IE, October 13). — Saravanan Seremban, Malaysia
