On Union Budget 2013-14

 Following is my brief comment on the Union Budget 2013-14 that The Hindu carried in its Letters to the Editor column on Friday, March 01, 2013

Populist and cautious are the words I would use to describe the Union budget 2013-14. Mr. Chidambaram has introduced a number of schemes to accommodate the interests of large sections of the middle class and the poor. However, the revenue side has cast a shadow of darkness. Taxing the rich and helping the poor is absolutely fine but the strategy to generate revenue to fund many of the programmes and contain fiscal deficit is vague. The Panchayati Raj Institutions have got nothing except a proposal of an additional Rs. 200 crore. This is mere tokenism. Unfortunately, the priorities spelt out in the budget do not take us closer to decentralisation.

V. Selvam,

Puducherry

Unhappy!

I stand COMPLETELY UNHAPPY at this point of time, say at the beginning of the year 2013! 

We began the year 2012 with much fanfare, jubilation, and greeting each other happiness, prosperity, and good health.  But unfortunately, the end of 2012 looked as if it had the right to dash all our wishes and happiness. 

What a turbulent and painful year it was-the year filled with all sorts of ugly, cruel, nasty and unpleasant events!  What do these events reflect? They reflect the fact that our society is still largely uncivilised and the minority civilised in our society collectively and miserably failed to protect the women and vulnerable from the barbaric acts of the uncivilised. This goes without saying that our political elites historically failed to ‘gender sensitise people’ resulting in rapes and violence against women. 

Although I stand completely unhappy at the beginning of 2013, I do hope and wish that this year will be free from such barbaric acts.  Yes, I understand that the hopes and wishes attain their real meaning only when every one of us in the society makes conscious and concerted efforts. Now the moot question is whether we are ready to put in such efforts to make our system free from violence and exploitation of the vulnerable! If yes, then I will wait till the end of this year to see if I am still unhappy!        

Selvam Velangani Manickam