India of the future
The Editorial page article, “A brief history of India’s present” (August 15), gave a scary picture of the future India should such a situation arise. The picture portrayed is comparable to what Pakistan is today.
K. Nehru Patnaik,
Visakhapatnam
The article depicted the realities that exist presently in the country under narrow-minded governance, which is leading to chaos and violence in some parts of the country, especially in central India.
Srinivas Kanda,
Visakhapatnam
The article was very negative. As the writer is based in the United States, I wonder whether she could instead write about the U.S., giving us a candid account of American policies, social issues and political fissures. Even the great American democracy has many problems.
Sneha Ketkar,
Bengaluru
The writer seemed to give examples to suit her narrative. There are many parts of India where minority families reside safely.
Duggaraju Srinivasa Rao,
Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
Contrary to the views expressed by the writer, violence against the minorities has declined. Has she exaggerated events? There is tremendous growth and development across India. And, the stature of the nation has grown under a corruption-free government. The article was not an honest essay.
R. Narasimhan,
Chennai
‘Only generic medicines’
Reports about the new guidelines by the National Medical Commission, the apex medical regulator, asking doctors to prescribe only generic medicines or face penalties, surprise many. Sometime ago, there was a directive to doctors to write their prescriptions in legible hand. Is there any system to monitor the implementation of such directions? Many doctors and patients are not sure of the efficacy of generic medicines.
There is also the price factor. If this is an issue, the government can fix affordable price bands for all medicines instead of allowing the manufacturer to fix their own price. Another major issue is the code on unethical marketing of pharmaceutical products which continues to be a neglected area.
A.G. Rajmohan,
Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh
Entry fee, in Varanasi
I am travelling in this beautiful country that India is, having visited several ‘sacred places’ in north India. While I was treated very well in many places, I found visiting the Kashi Vishwanath temple to be stressful. Foreigners are not allowed to visit a temple or even walk closer than 50 metres to the temple. The only way to get closer is to buy a ‘VIP ticket’ which costs ₹600. This information is not made clear at the entrance. One is told this only after standing in a queue and security checks. When I wanted to speak to the management of this temple complex, I was told that I can write out a message which would be passed on. Officials at the temple were unable to show me proof that a foreigner has to pay ₹600.
David Levinsky,
New Delhi
