Restore peoplehood
It is distressing that India, as a nation, is losing cherished values by sliding into religious division (Editorial page, April 15). Violence in the name of religion appears to be spreading with impunity with the peculiar silence of the political leadership as licence. The series of controversies seem to be getting stoked to keep the communal pot boiling. All secular parties with influence should work to fight divisive forces.
J. Anantha Padmanabhan,
Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu
Governor’s reception
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister could have attended the function hosted by the Tamil Nadu Governor, and reiterated the State’s stand on NEET (Page 1, “CM boycotts Governor’s ‘At Home’ reception”, April 15). The Chief Minister, with a good record so far, could have proved that he is above petty politics.
S. Parthasarathy,
Chennai
DAP fertilizer
The IMD has predicted ‘normal’ monsoons, but this generosity from the heavens could well be offset by ongoing human contradictions. We could well be staring into empty bins of fertilizers, particularly DAP. We had been struggling, in 2021-22 with shortages. The Ukraine conflict has hugely disrupted the supply chain as the troubled region counts for sizeable production. While the landed cost today of imported DAP is ₹1.1 lakh a ton, the farmer pays ₹27,000 a ton. Without clear policy enunciation on assistance, importers are yet to place orders.
R. Narayanan,
Navi Mumbai
Fodder cultivation
The livestock sector remains a key engine of growth. The rise in the cost of meat, milk and fish adds to inflation and feed cost, which in turn is determined by the feed ingredients. As a solution, the area under maize cultivation needs to be increased. Fodder cultivation practice has to be promoted. Livestock farmers should be encouraged to grind their own livestock feed. This was very successful when implemented under the erstwhile Pudhuvaazhvu project, a rural livelihood programme in Tamil Nadu.
Dr. V. Purushothaman,
Chennai
