Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

A dream fulfilled

The dream of Muhammad Yunus, the 66-year-old economics professor from our neighbouring country, has won him the Nobel Peace Prize. He and his Grameen Bank have striven over two decades to fulfil the dreams of the poorest of the poor in an impoverished country. He transformed them into self-starters and employment generators. In short, he proved where there is a will there is a way. He has become a role model for all developing nations.

Dhanalakshmi Chelluri,
Vizianagaram, A.P.

The Nobel Peace Prize this year has presented to the world the success story of microcredit in developing countries. It encourages lending to women, which has been found to be more effective, and helps in eliminating loan sharks who play a major role in exploiting the poor and pushing them into debt-traps.

Divakar Pai,
Thrissur, Kerala

The tiny nation has been catapulted to the international centre-stage. India should replicate the microcredit system in large scale to reduce poverty. Mr. Yunus deserves praise for showing the rural poor of the world the way to earn their livelihood with dignity. The Nobel is the ultimate recognition for the poorest of the poor.

V. Rajagopal,
Tirupati, A.P.

That the journey of the "Banker to the poor" has culminated in the Nobel Prize is no mean achievement. Mr. Yunus deserves all praise for his path-breaking anti-poverty programme that has not only reformed the lives of the poor in Bangladesh, but also serves as a valuable model of sustainable economic and social development. The Peace Nobel for him and the Grameen Bank he founded in 1976 is a remarkable gesture of appreciation at the international level.

Nicholas Francis,
Madurai

But for the prize, not many would have heard of an institution called the Grameen Bank. It is a tragedy of our times that development work in rural areas rarely gets the attention it deserves.

M.V. Gopalakrishnan,
Chennai

The Peace Nobel for Mr. Yunus and the Grameen Bank is recognition of efforts to promote sustainability. At the same time, it is disheartening to note the approach of the State Governments and the Centre back home, which is increasingly depriving the citizens of their right to life and livelihood. The Sardar Sarovar project is a case in point.

Shariq Ahmed Abbasi,
Aligarh, U.P.

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