MyVoice: Views of our readers 8th March 2023

India seen heading for slowdown

Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan sounded a note of caution, saying India was "dangerously close" to the 'Hindu rate of growth'. He was referring to India's slow economic growth and subdued private sector investment, high-interest rates, and a slowdown in global growth as the factors. The latest October-December Indian GDP numbers suggest slowing growth from the heady numbers in the first half of the year. The RBI projects an even lower 4.2 per cent for the last quarter of this fiscal, he points out. According to him, this slowdown was caused primarily by slowing manufacturing activity, weaker personal consumption, and lower government expenditure. The negative growth in manufacturing indicated rising input costs. As such, policymakers and the government should brace for recessionary trends in India which hitherto braved global headwinds. The country should prepare to grapple with continuing global slowdown, and a further weakening of the post-pandemic spurt.

Parvati S, Hyderabad

At last a crucial treaty on high seas

UN member states finally agreed to a text on the first international treaty to protect the high seas, a fragile and vital treasure that covers nearly half the planet. "The ship has reached the shore," conference chair Rena Lee announced at the UN headquarters in New York. Now it is legally binding on all countries to protect biodiversity in international waters. The High Seas Treaty aims to place 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030, to safeguard and recuperate marine nature. Nearly 10% of species are at risk of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The two biggest causes are overfishing and pollution. IUCN estimates that 41% of the threatened species are also affected by climate change. The treaty also aims to protect against potential impacts like deep sea mining. That it took more than a decade of negotiations to arrive at this so crucial a treaty of nations is sad. But shall we take solace in "Better late than never."

Mahesh Pasala, Tirupati

Another Peegate: Punish offenders sternly

Refer to "Drunk student urinates on passenger on NY-Delhi flight" (6 March). It is imperative that strict laws are framed in order to put an end to the 'Peegate' menace causing fear and mental agony to passengers. It is shameful that female passengers who have been victims in the previous three occasions are not only mentally disturbed but are embarrassed and angry over airlines and law-enforcing authorities in not taking the matter to a logical conclusion. All in all, it is time, airline authorities after giving a police complaint should follow up with law-enforcing authorities and not rest until stern punishment is handed out to the errant passenger to gain passengers' confidence.

K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

BJP could make no serious effort to refute Rahul

The BJP's reaction to Rahul Gandhi's statements and speeches in London, as was to be expected, was not based on their merits. It rested on the straightforward equivalence drawn between criticism of the government and 'insult' to the country. In its wisdom, the BJP saw Rahul Gandhi's lecture at Cambridge University and his address in the British Parliament as a 'betrayal' of the country 'on foreign soil'. The equation of patriotism with praise for the government was BJP's way of defending itself when confronted with unpalatable truths.

Obviously the BJP could make no serious effort to refute what Rahul Gandhi said because it was true. No amount of Rahul-bashing or twisting everything he says would obscure the fact of India going down in the democracy index. BJP spokespersons and pro-BJP TV anchors put up Rahul Gandhi's attendance in the Parliament to counter his contention that the Opposition was not allowed to have its say on issues affecting the lives of people in the Parliament without telling us how the two were connected. By the way, we would like to be enlightened on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attendance in the Parliament. Rahul Gandhi's 'gagged in Parliament' claim has basis in fact for the BJP to get so agitated. Rahul Gandhi's reiteration of his understanding (and description) of the RSS as a 'fascist' organisation has shown his relentless opposition to BJP's ideological parent.

G.David Milton, Tamil Nadu