Steering the G-20 India assumes the G-20 presidency at a very vulnerable juncture especially after the COVID-19 crisis. The Ukraine war has only added to the economic pressure besides making world political equations all the more complicated. But this is a time for India to nurture well the opportunities that are available to it as every economy is eyeing the huge Indian economy. That it will not be a Delhi-centric event but spread across the length and the breadth of the country is a wise thought. But it should not remain an event of celebration.
Madhusree Guha,
Kolkata
Vizhinjam protests
The unrest over the construction of an international port in Vizhinjam, Kerala, is largely the result of a poor techno-economic and social cost study expected to be conducted before taking a decision to implement the project. While the project may be sound as far as its technical and economic/financial parameters are concerned, a detailed study to assess the financial and social cost of it on people living near the site whose only means of livelihood is the sea seems to have glossed over. The assessment of the social cost of the project and adequate compensation should have been made the top priority. The unrest now is a desperate attempt by those affected to bring the focus back on their plight before the project progresses further.
K. George Varghese,
Kochi
The growing protests appear to be driven by factors other than scientific reasoning. Given that there are advantages of having a port close to the major international sea route that would benefit the local community and also support economic growth, the Kerala government’s resolve to “steam ahead” with the project is a bold step in the right direction.
Dr. Biju C. Mathew,
Thiruvananthapuram
Sport’s healing touch
The photograph of a U.S. football player reaching out to console his counterpart from Iran (Opinion page, ‘Picture of the week’, December 2) was moving. In an often divided world, sport binds players and people across and within societies. The FIFA World Cup is a demonstration once again that sport is a powerful emissary of peace.
R. Sivakumar,
Chennai
