Letters to the Editor — November 26, 2021

Expiry date is near

It is disturbing that vaccine vials, in the crores, are lying unutilised in a few States and Union Territories (Inside pages, “Private vaccine stocks near expiry date”, November 25). Just last year, India was virtually on the edge due to an acute shortage of vaccines. When most States and Union Territories are still far away in the matter of total coverage of inoculation of both doses, it is regrettable that precious vaccine stocks are close to becoming ineffective. The Union government and States concerned need to undertake vaccination of eligible persons on a war-footing. If the vaccines are close to their expiry date, how feasible is the plan to export them?

V. Johan Dhanakumar,

Chennai

Farm laws, lessons

The farmers are the backbone of the country and when the vast majority of them put up a unified struggle, the Government should have reacted immediately. It is true that the government of the day enjoys a massive majority in Parliament, but on that score, it cannot bulldoze the expectations of the people and tire them out. In the process, nearly 1,000 farmers lost their lives. The true test of a democracy is to reverse a decision at the earliest if the people are opposed to it — which the present majoritarian Government chose not to do. It is only because elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab are around the corner that the Government, which is keen on getting back to power, chose to withdraw the laws. It shows that the primary interest of the people is not its main concern. In the fitness of things, it is only natural that the farmers want the Government to resolve their other legitimate demands.

However, what is equally unfortunate is that the judiciary should have immediately addressed the challenge to the farm laws because it involved the constitutionality of the laws. When governments fail to rise to the occasion and are guided more by political expediency, the judiciary should step in.

N.G.R. Prasad,

Chennai

Seeds needed

The rainfed areas in the southern districts (Madurai, Ramnad, Virudhunagar, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi) are ready for the sowing of cotton, millets, pulses and oilseeds. In oilseed crops, sunflower is most important for culinary reasons. Farmers are in short supply of both sunflower seeds and urea fertilizers. So there is a chance of missing the season for rainfed cultivation even though the monsoon is favourable. Just like their counterparts in the Delta areas, these farmers also contribute to the national exchequer.

A. Kaja Nazimudeen,

Eruvadi, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu