Act of commission

In its inexplicable wisdom, the commission has held that Gandhi has owed allegiance to the constitution of Belgium by accepting the ‘Order of Leopold’ by its government. No heed is given to the fact that she is not the first Indian citizen of eminence to be honoured by a foreign government. What is equally ignored is the fact that India too bestows its civilian honours upon statesmen and eminent citizens of other countries — the bestowing of the Bharat Ratna upon Nelson Mandela is a case in point.

Fueling debate

A minor increase in petrol and diesel prices may mean only some replenishment to the dwindling coffers of our three major Oil companies, but it has attracted widespread political agitation. International oil prices continue to increase. Due to the ever-mounting losses, the situation had reached a point where the three major oil companies were about to be refused new oil supplies on credit. This revelation was made by the heads of these companies in a recent meeting of the parliamentary standing committee. If this threat were to turn into a reality, the resultant oil scarcity will have dire consequences for consumers and the economy.

Even as political opposition to the price hike is mounting, our prime minister has been unequivocal in refusing to roll it back. I wonder how far we will go without having to take recourse to another hike. The price of crude oil has risen four times in the last six years — more than it did in the 60 years before.

Reducing our dependence on oil imports and exploring alternative sources of energy are the only way out of this crippling situation. We cannot afford to let go of the beneficial opportunity that the Indo-US nuclear agreement offers. At the same time, India and China should jointly exert pressure on oil-producing countries to produce more oil that will reduce prices in the long run.

... contd.