Poverty even after 78 yrs of freedom

As we celebrate Independence Day today, we would have failed in our mission of achieving complete victory over poverty if we cannot make our millions self-sufficient. Offering freebies is no solution for getting rid of poverty. This fight can be won by encouraging a few steps — promoting small-scale industries at the village level, providing basic training & tools to the youth there, and utilising agricultural waste for recycling and making it a profitable business. It will reduce mass migration of rural youth to cities, which will further lessen a lot many other problems accompanying urbanisation.

Vir Partap Singh, Hoshiarpur

Smart business policies needed

Apropos of ‘High-wage jobs can rev up Punjab’; whenever an investors’ conclave is held, many industrialists promise massive investments in the state. But when they foresee a long-winding process of obtaining permissions or licences to start their project, they give it a second thought. We require a smart policy of ‘ease of doing business’ where the compliances are minimum and permissions are granted within a time frame. It is not difficult to find skilled and employable youth for high-wage jobs if the environment for setting up industries is congenial and corruption-free. Such conditions can be achieved by bringing in necessary reforms.

Subhash Vaid, New Delhi

Trump’s double standards

Refer to ‘Tariffs, oil & BRICS: Why Trump is turning the heat on India’; the extra tariff on Indian goods over Russian oil import, while sparing China, smacks of double standards. The US President seeks to disengage India from Russia, weaken BRICS and cement US hegemony under the ‘America First’ policy. However, India need not panic over the US going soft on China as their superpower rivalry makes lasting amity impossible. Hence, India must remain firm on trade talks, spare Russian oil without riling Moscow and reinforce Indo-Pacific ties to prevent adversaries from exploiting strategic space.

Chanchal S Mann, Una

Unnecessary ban

Refer to ‘A meat ban’; the ban on the sale of meat on Independence Day, imposed by civic bodies in Maharashtra and Hyderabad, is an unnecessary step. Independence Day is a joyous occasion for all Indians, marking the end of foreign rule and the beginning of self-governance. Meat consumption is ingrained in many cultures and religions and a ban can be seen as an infringement on personal freedom and cultural identity. It is also about the livelihood of those involved in the meat business. Instead of ethical concerns, we should focus on other important matters.

KR Bharti, Shimla

BCCI gets preferential treatment

With reference to ‘Sports governance’; a glaring loophole remains — the exclusion of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from the RTI purview on the grounds that it does not receive direct government funding. In reality, the BCCI benefits enormously from indirect public resources — tax exemptions, subsidised stadium leases, security arrangements and infrastructure support. These constitute a form of public funding, even if not directly routed through the exchequer. Shielding such a wealthy and influential sports body from RTI scrutiny undermines the spirit of the Bill.

Harsh Pawaria, Rohtak

Politicians run sports bodies

Apropos of ‘Sports governance’; the sports Bill passed in Parliament has the potential to improve the administration of sports bodies in the country, provided it is kept out of the ambit of the political class. For long, various sports federations have been ruled by politicians instead of veteran sportspersons. The BCCI, the richest sports body in the country, has been the politicians’ darling for raking in the moolah without any RTI scrutiny. There is a need to improve sports culture, infrastructure, training, diet and financial conditions of all players. We need to discourage the cricket frenzy that has gripped the nation since long.

Wg Cdr JS Minhas (retd), Mohali