Opinion Short sighted
If governments become bold and decisive only towards the end of their terms,it is because they know that public memory is notoriously short
Short sighted
* If governments become bold and decisive only towards the end of their terms (Legacy politics,IE,October 31),it is because they know that public memory is notoriously short. The public tends to retain only what the government does in its last few days in office,and forgets its weak governance of earlier days. In this context,Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said on September 15: Earlier the Bofors was a talking point…people forgot about it. Now it is coal. This too will be forgotten. The government does what it likes for most of its term,at public expense,and adopts different policies in the last few months before the end of its term in an attempt to ensure victory in the next elections.
R.P. Subramanian
New Delhi
Pricey picture
* THE Centre has worsened the plight of the common man with the digitisation of cable television in four metros,enforcing set-top box installation within a short period of time (A clear picture,IE,November 1). By making digitisation mandatory,the government has ignored its direct impact on those who subscribe to cable TV. They have no choice but to watch analogue channels if they cannot to afford to switch. Although viewers will get more channels with better picture quality and clarity,it is at a significant cost to poor subscribers. Tragically,TV is the only medium of leisure and entertainment accessible to those who cannot afford set-top boxes. Mamata Banerjee is right to speak up for this section of the population.
J. Bahadur Sunuwar
Bagrakote
Grain of truth
* THIS refers to Stepping it up (IE,November 2). The government cannot afford to manage the price of wheat poorly,because it is a staple of the North Indian diet. The recent move by the UPA government to keep the MSP for wheat unchanged from last year is a welcome step,but a thorough understanding of other issues that contribute to higher wheat prices is necessary. Small landholdings,lack of fertilisers,costly farm equipment,and limited availability of finance all contribute to the hardships a farmer faces and thereby to price inflation. The government needs to follow a holistic approach that would address all these issues collectively,rather than tackling them piecemeal.
Deepak Sharma
Not at our cost
* IT IS outrageous that our politicians,who are supposed to be our representatives,live in houses worth Rs 400 crore each (Time to move,IE,October 28). The aam admi lives in a simple house and struggles to pay for electricity and other household expenses. Some do not even own a house. Ultimately,politicians are elected to serve the people and not to live extravagant lives by spending taxpayers hard earned money. As Tavleen Singh suggests,the Lutyens bungalows that MPs live in should be sold to billionaires at market prices. The money generated should be spent on developmental programmes that benefit the common man.
Siddharth M. Nair
Palakkad
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