The staffing decisions highlighted in the editorial "Command and control" (June 17) are just one instance of the clear and current dangers facing the citizenry now.
First is the social divisiveness from an aggressive pursuit of a uni-culture that is deepening the divisions within India. Second are the emerging instances of crony capitalism. For example, was there any bidding for the power plants that the Indian private sector will be putting up in Bangladesh, and what sort of government guarantees are being provided? Or the push that is being given to public sector banks to fund certain projects of chosen capitalists, some of them are already leveraged well past the level of danger. Third is the whittling down of civic rights such as forest, environment, coastal zone restrictions, tribal rights, land acquisition and labour rights, the attack on NGOs.
Fourth is the pursuit of economic policies and projects that do not bring direct, significant and immediate benefit to those who need it the most. Fifth is the systematic and incremental attack on the due process, like the announcement of a direct deal for the very costly Rafale aircraft where the Indian Air Force, defence minister and possibly the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had no inkling. The latest is the media, not always spotless, but that is no different from the way it was when the Bharatiya Janata Party used it so effectively, and worst of all, the judiciary, which with its warts and all, has been the sole protector of citizen's rights.
P Datta Kolkata
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