•The news of Indian industry making a remarkable recovery after the recession and registering a growth of 10.4 per cent in August is welcome (‘Industrial growth hits 22-month high, climbs 10.4 pc in August’, IE, October 13). But it’s not known what the corresponding figure for the agricultural sector is. It is the unsatisfactory performance of agriculture that has been weighing down the overall growth of the Indian economy in recent times, mostly due to bad planning and management in this sensitive area. The severe drought, followed by unprecedented floods, in severa parts of the country has made the situation worse. Except fire-fighting, the government doesn’t seem to have done any long-term planning to boost the agricultural sector.

— Vijay Mohan

Chennai

Kabul lit

•India’s Power Grid Corporation should be congratulated for cementing the age-old ties between the peoples of Afghanistan and India by doing a remarkable job in building the 202 km stretch of the power transmission lines to Kabul over the snow covered mountainous terrain in war-torn Afghanistan. The increased capacity will be of great relief to the power-starved city of Kabul. This is an extraordinary feat in view of the fact that in addition to other hurdles, Pakistan had refused passage for equipment over its territory from India to Afghanistan.

— R.J. Khurana

Bhopal

Other reasons

•It is amusing that the Nobel Peace Prize for American President Barack Obama is being interpreted in some quarters as the Nobel committee’s intelligent move to put a moral binding on Obama to work for long-lasting global peace. Prizes are not advances for achieving but follow achievements and evaluation thereof. Obama has done nothing to entitle him to the Nobel. Obama was nominated within 12 days of assuming office since the Nobel deadline closed then. Obviously, his nomination and the decision to award him were based on considerations other than merit.

... contd.