Opinion Goodbye growth?
With a troubled global economy and with Indias GDP growth rates slowing down to 5-6 per cent,the government cannot afford to take steps that could damage investor sentiments further.
Goodbye growth?
With a troubled global economy and with Indias GDP growth rates slowing down to 5-6 per cent,the government cannot afford to take steps that could damage investor sentiments further. The last budgets proposals on GAAR did just that,contributing to the perception that the Indian tax regime is arbitrary and unpredictable (Undoing the damage,IE,September 3). In his article,Fixerprenuership,(IE,September 1),Shekhar Gupta speaks of a government that is reluctant to be seen as aligned with big business. Policy paralysis and this perceived anti-business climate has slowed down foreign investment inflows and stunted the growth of infrastructure. Bold reforms are urgently needed. Or else,India can bid goodbye to its growth story.
Manish Kumar
Patna
At loggerheads
THE parliamentary standstill,brought about by the BJPs protest on coal block allocations,has the aam admi bewildered (Logjam persists,BJP blames UPA silence,IE,September 3). The speaker of the Lok Sabha and the president could chip in to resolve the crisis. It is ironic that the opposition has no qualms about wasting lakhs by holding up Parliament to protest the presumptive loss from coal block allocations. The BJP has also asked the prime minister to resign. No PM should quit just because the opposition wants him to.
K.L. Khandekar
Vadodara
Everyones Mumbai
WHEN Raj Thackeray parted company with the Shiv Sena and formed his own party,the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena,one had hoped that he would eschew the extremist rhetoric of his former party. However,his new party has proved to be equally hardline,with Thackeray setting himself up as a champion of Marathi interests. In the last couple of years,he has consistently railed against people from other states who come to Mumbai to make a livelihood (Will brand Biharis infiltrators: Raj Thackeray,IE,August 31). He should remember that Mumbai became the financial capital that it is today because of the contribution of people from various states across the country,who have gravitated to the city over the last 100 years. It is mystifying why the Maharashtra government has not taken steps to contain his divisive political agenda. Some believe that the Congress government hopes he will counter the influence of the Shiv Sena. An aggressive MNS could splinter the BJP-Shiv Sena votebank in the state.
Vijay Mohan
Piecemeal measures
This refers to the article Blasphemy case: Pak imam held for framing Christian girl (IE,September 3). The move to arrest the imam comes after US senators wrote to the Pakistani president,asking that the girl be released. However,Pakistan should consider reforming its blasphemy laws instead of just arresting individuals.
A.Rufus DSouza
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