• The editorial ‘Wake up Mumbai’ about hooliganism in Mumbai perpetrated by politicians, and the need to protest against such, is welcome. Raj Thackeray, following his uncle’s example, is just pursuing the old, venomous agenda of dividing people for personal gain. Since he founded the MNS on the lines of the Shiv Sena, he has been taking to the streets with his hooligans as if there were no rule of law or governance.

The Congress, for its part, has been treating him with kid gloves, without any thought about national unity and friendly coexistence of citizens. Parties like the BJP, which choose to function overtly or covertly as Raj Thackeray’s paid pipers without scruples, also deserve to be treated as divisive. It’s time the government and concerned individuals took notice of the designs of people like the Thackerays and reacted strongly without heeding their agenda.

— E.G.K. Menon

Thane

Nitish warned

• This refers to ‘Nitish, your Mahadalit politics killing us’. By winning 9 out of 18 assembly seats in the Bihar by-polls last month, the RJD-LJP combine surprised political pundits. That outcome indicates that the JD(U)’s formula of the “Mahadalit vote-bank” has boomeranged on the party. Nitish Kumar must not forget that his rise in Bihar was the result of a reaction against Lalu Prasad’s own vote-bank politics with its caste-community equations.

— Manoj Parashar

Greater Noida

Protectionism hurts

• The Bharti-MTN deal failed because of the myopic aspirations of the South African government. The deal got wrecked due to its protectionist attitude. Governments can no longer indulge in activities which camouflage inefficiencies of public sector firms. Competition today is intense, with every player planning to grow. Only a proper policy regarding competition, above political and selfish interests, can put the country ahead in the race. The Indian government, through its telecom policies, has shown the way for healthy competition to build and sustain. The results are big infrastructural investments and inclusive growth in terms of rural reach. BSNL has learnt it the tough way; so will inefficient players like Air India. Protectionism can only jeopardise the interests of an economy.

... contd.