Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Rising prices

The editorial “Losing hope” (April 21) portrays the present state of agriculture and warns of what is in store as the decade-old policies of liberalisation — started by our current Prime Minister — start taking their toll. More than the loan waiver, what farmers needed was some money, which could have reduced their distress. The failure of the loan waiver and packages to reduce the number of farmers’ suicides proves that good economists don’t exactly make good politicians and, more so, good decision-makers.

Prashaanth Menon,

Palakkad

The government needs to review its policies to give equal benefits to all farmers and save them from the clutches of moneylenders.

Ritu Sejwal,

New Delhi

The single important factor that is responsible for the present crisis is the supermarket. The mammoth market player with vast potential for buying and hoarding is responsible for the price rise. Supermarkets buy products at huge prices at the production centre itself. Small traders do not even have elbow room to negotiate prices after the big players fix abnormally high prices on commodities. And the common man is unable to pay the fancy prices fixed by the corporate kings even for carrots and cabbages.

If the government is really mindful of the welfare of those who live below the poverty line, it should ban the trading of essential commodities by super and hyper markets.

A.V. Reddi Sastri,

Srikakulam

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