MyVoice: Views of our readers 20th October 2021

Needed: A fresh look at economics

The word labour is nowadays more confined to dictionaries than its frequent use way back before digital world took us by storm. The Nobel Prize winner in Economics, Professor David Card did research in choosing its impact on labour. He exploded many a myth at global level justifying that immigration to US was after all a win-win development for both the immigrants and the host country besides other issues.

It is high time Indian economists too focused on taking up such research activity at national level to ward off misapprehensions over local and non- local issues that frequently recur in many states, (latest example being J&K) duly proving the study with sufficient empirical data. The analysis should also yield solutions to problems related to cross migration of people between the states and union Territories of our country.

The study should also highlight the very concept of workforce in the rapidly changing scenario where Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are threatening to replace human intervention though it may not be so rapid in developing and under developed countries.

D Nagarjuna, Hyderabad

Aren't our law-makers enjoying freebies?

The Vice President is absolutely right when he says that freebies makes the people lazy. But don't the enormous facilities granted to our elected representatives also come under the same category? Some states pay Income Tax for their legislators. This should stop immediately. Why should they be paid pensions? To make matters worse they are entitled to draw more than one pension. Since voice is free on cell phones why are they paid telephone allowances? The legislators are a privileged class and they feel they are entitled to all these benefits. But in the eyes of the people they are nothing but freebies. Just like the people who think they are entitled to certain benefits which the VP thinks amounts to freebies.

Anthony Henriques, Mumbai

Booster shots and vaccination progress

The WHO that had earlier called for a complete moratorium on Covid vaccine booster doses until 2021 end , now recommends them for immune-compromised people. Scientific data about their risk of infections after immunisation prompted the WHO to recommend booster doses. But it clarifies that the additional doses are meant for countries that have maximized two doses of vaccine. Given that only about 30 per cent of adults have been vaccinated with two doses so far in India, it needs to put in a lot of effort to make the vaccination drive more effective. True, India has speeded up the second doses. As it is not sufficient, India needs to carry out researches to take decisions about booster doses. Biological E needs approval to conduct third phase of clinical trial of Corbevax vaccine as a booster dose for those who have been vaccinated with Covishield or Covaxin. Considering that hospitalisation and death have decreased in India over time, conducting investigations about it is of utmost importance. Antibody levels of fully vaccinated people need to be monitored. India must not borrow the research findings of other countries. It needs to carry out its own researches and make best use of the findings. Authentic data is essential for rolling out booster doses. Accurate researches and findings will help India to take decision about booster doses.

Venu G S, Kollam

B'desh should act firmly

"More than 80 special shrines set up for the Durga Puja festival were attacked, with about 150 Hindus injured and two killed," writes the Guardian newspaper. Many researchers dub this the worst racial riot, desecration of temples, and attacks on homes of Hindus and compare it to the post-poll violence that occurred when Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party, in alliance with Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, swept into power on October 1, 2001.

Thousands of Hindus took refuge in the neighbouring state of West Bengal, India. If a nation is divided on the basis of religion, faith, and political ideology, it means that the country is following in the footsteps of Pakistan.

It's a rule of the majority to dominate the society, politics and economy. Here the majority are Muslims and only about 12.73 million of the population are Hindus (8.5%) -- the rest are Buddhists, Christians, and ethnic communities.

The onus of the security and welfare of the minorities obviously rests upon the majority. The majority have a bigger slice of the state and politics. Thus, the state governed by the ruling party will have to shield the minorities and provide protection, security, and safety.

According to writer and researcher Mohiuddin Ahmad, nowhere in the world have racial strifes or sectarian violence occurred without state and politicians' tacit indulgence. In the last 20 years, the state has failed to bring the perpetrators and hooligans to face justice. They have enjoyed impunity, and this has caused a ripple of insecurity among the Hindus and other minorities.

Saleem Samad, Dhaka