Corporate games

The willingness of governments across the globe to bail out multinational corporations from calamities arising out of corporate greed shows that they are steered by corporate power (“Games big corporations play,” June 15). The role of people in a democracy begins and ends with casting the votes. Post-elections, irrespective of the colour of the ruling party, the corporates assume control of the government machinery to achieve their goals. To give voice to those affected by the corporate juggernaut, it would be essential for all four estates of democracy to hold Gandhiji's Talisman to their bosom while making, implementing and judging policies.

K.A. Suresh Kumar,

New Delhi

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The competition for investments among governments has increased the bargaining power of the corporates. A big project has many uses for the political class — its high visibility and the potential for job creation are irresistible. All corporations view regulation as an inconvenience. Even in countries which have strong regulators, corporations do everything to circumvent safety standards. The bottom line is: regulators should do their job without fear or favour. Would the Bhopal tragedy have occurred had the inspecting agencies done their duty?

V.N. Mukundarajan,

Thiruvananthapuram

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Corporations have become so huge and dominant that they run the world for their gains at our expense. The Bhopal disaster and the BP oil spill remind us of the harm they cause to communities, nations, and the great majority of people. Corporations can sustain simultaneously in many countries, they cannot be imprisoned for wrongdoing and can change their identity at will. One hopes the government will scrutinise the nuclear liability bill and stop appeasing the U.S. lobbyists.

Manu Zafar Abdulla,

Kozhikode

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Be it the UCC, the BP or any other corporation — they all make money exploiting all possible forms on earth. But when it is time to compensate the victims of their irresponsible acts, they have no conscience. Let us learn a lesson or two from the Bhopal gas disaster verdict and devise a fool-proof system.

S.K. Basheer,

Visakhapatnam

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For the corporates, profit alone matters. The concept of corporate social responsibility is of recent origin. That justice has not been done to the victims of the Bhopal gas disaster is a matter of shame.

R. Ramanathan,

Coimbatore