Opinion True freedom
The editorial Free at last rightly calls the partial decontrol of oil prices a sound economic decision.
The editorial Free at last (IE,May 26) rightly calls the partial decontrol of oil prices a sound economic decision. The costs of supplying oil should fall on the user,not on the general taxpayer. Itll definitely raise a political storm as most political parties believe that higher oil prices would hurt their electoral prospects. Raising oil prices creates opportunities for the opposition to mobilise support. The UPA must stand firm it has nothing to lose,because there are no elections in the near future except Bihar. However the task is not complete. In rural India,access to LPG is more difficult than in urban areas. The poor still have to go to the jungle to collect wood to be used as cooking fuel. About 75 per cent use traditional biomass wood and dung as household fuel. Burning of wood and dung also emits greenhouse gases. So the still-extant price subsidy for LPG accrues disproportionately to the rich. And the kerosene subsidy appears to carry a large leakage,with a large amount diverted to the black market. The government should consider the removal of the LPG and kerosene subsidy.
Harjeev K. Khanna
Ferozepur
Letting market forces decide the price of petroleum products may look good and progressive on paper but its fraught with danger. In this system the price may even be determined on the basis of location the price in Guduvancheri may be one rupee less than what prevails around Adyar Park hotel. The danger is,with a woefully inadequate machinery,its impossible to maintain the quality of petrol sold and a likely inefficient enforcement will create chaos. The government which appears to be in haste should rethink,and take further steps after these questions are answered satisfactorily.
S. Rajagopalan
Language power
This is apropos of M.S.S. Pandians article (The political uses of Tamil,IE,June 26). One hoped the World Classical Tamil Conference in Coimbatore would yield findings commensurate with the whopping expenditure of Rs 400 crore. Still: does a language need any certificate to prove its credentials? The antiquity and richness of Tamil is proven. Whether Tamil is older than Sanskrit or not makes no difference. Paeans have been sung praising Sanskrit at conferences and seminars,but it has not made much difference: the number of Sanskrit-knowing people is fast declining. A language lives if its literature is in tune with the times. The rise of English has been due to its adaptability,its scientific outlook and its linguistic evolution. Merely sticking to orthodoxy will not help. Tamil must become the language of modern science and arts.Translation may be useful but producing original scientific literature is better.
Satish K. Kapoor
Solapur
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