Opinion High stakes

The government must overhaul the regulatory apparatus to prevent this from happening again.

February 7, 2014 02:59 AM IST First published on: Feb 7, 2014 at 02:59 AM IST

* This refers to ‘Public health first’ (IE, February 6). The four consecutive US FDA bans on Ranbaxy’s manufacturing facilities in India have focused attention on the routine violation of safety and quality standards. Instead of being contrite and embarrassed at not having caught this issue itself, the Indian regulator boldly demanded that it be allowed to inspect production facilities of foreign drug manufacturers. The government must overhaul the regulatory apparatus to prevent this from happening again. It’s not just exports that are at stake, it’s people’s lives.
— Gaurav Gupta
New Delhi

1984 again

* This refers to ‘UK confirms limited, purely advisory role’ (IE, February 5). The news of Indira Gandhi soliciting military advice from Margaret Thatcher on Operation Bluestar will definitely drive a schism between the Sikh community in Britain and the Tories. In India, the Akali Dal is already making this a central election issue and hopes to strengthen its position against the Congress in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. It looks like the Congress will face a tough battle in Punjab as well.
— Suraj Pandey
Noida

The original master

* Awarding Sachin Tendulkar the Bharat Ratna ahead of Dhyan Chand is an insult to Indian hockey. Tendulkar may be the greatest cricketer the world has ever seen. But Chand was India’s joy and pride back in the day when hockey was truly our national sport and India ruled the game. Chand wielded a hockey stick with magical finesse. He mesmerised the world with his skill. And no individual since has been able to play at his level. Over the years, hockey has been treated poorly in our country, which is why the sport is in such a sorry state. The government should change the rules if it must and award Chand a posthumous Bharat Ratna.
— S.N. Kabra
Mumbai

Still identity

* This refers to ‘Communal incidents up 30 per cent in 2013, UP tops list’ (IE, February 5). It is quite depressing to read that in spite of growing and progressing, anti-national and communal forces are still going strong in India. Politicians have always used religion as a weapon to gain more votes. It is up to the people how long they will let this happen. Identity must not be the central theme of these elections. The upcoming elections must be fought on developmental issues and ideas. UP has registered the highest number of communal incidents. The economic and social development of the state is also quite poor. But the Congress’s communal violence bill is certainly not the answer.
— Harsh Shukla
Ulhasnagar