Opinion Retails price
By putting FDI in retail on hold,the UPA government has only strengthened the perception that it can easily be browbeaten on any matter
Retails price
By putting FDI in retail on hold,the UPA government has only strengthened the perception that it can easily be browbeaten on any matter (Selling out,IE,December 5). Has the recent spate of scams taken its toll on the government that a sense of insecurity sends it scurrying for cover at the mere hint of a confrontation? Lacking the political craftiness to push a decision that it believes will improve the material well-being of many Indians,the UPA government is guilty of placing its survival above the need for ushering in economic reforms that have long been awaited in this country. If the government has misgivings about any reform that it intends to introduce,then it should abstain from taking a grand stand on it. In spite of being the major component of the alliance,the Congress has never really asserted itself and plays second fiddle to other parties in the UPA. Hence its sincere attempts at changing the economic scenario in the country are met with stubborn resistance at every turn.
Pachu Menon
Goa
Single-handedly?
The ruling partys dream of bulldozing its way through Parliament was shattered by the stubborn stand taken by Mamata Banerjee on FDI in retail. Irrespective of whether this reform will benefit the country or not,the way the cabinet took the decision with scant regard for consensus among all the stakeholders only showed the arrogance of the Congress that it is the arbiter of what is good for the nation. Now Pranab Mukherjee has made the announcement that the decision on FDI has been kept on hold until a consensus is reached. Had the government done this right at the start,it could have saved itself such a great embarrassment. Cant the UPA ever learn from its past mistakes?
V.S. Kaushik
Advice for Gandhi
Apropos Pratap Bhanu Mehtas Tomorrows battles (IE,December 7),he has rightly advised Rahul Gandhi to give nation-building priority over party-building. Gandhi should not treat the UP election that is due next year as if it is neck or nothing. If he can prove himself different from other leaders with short-sighted goals,people will accept him as their leader. And this will help the Congress turn the corner.
Satwant Kaur
Mahilpur
So skewed
With due respect to the departed soul of Dev Anand,I tend to agree with Justice Katju that undue prominence was given to Dev Anands death by newspapers and news channels (Why Dev Anand death news on page 1: Katju,IE,December 7). When it comes to film stars and cricketers,news organisations go overboard as if there is nothing else to cover. Even cultural icons like Bhimsen Joshi and Bhupen Hazarika do not get that kind of coverage. Newspapers and channels should be a little more judicious.
S. Prabhakar
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