The meaning of “intolerance”
Vigorously opposing a person for his/her remarks is also a kind of intolerance. In fact, that’s what the word “intolerance” literally means. No country can progress if it isn’t ready to hold views, beliefs or behaviours different from the initial ones. And that’s what make us more civilised. A Shiv Sena party member has reportedly announced a cash reward of R1 lakh for anyone slapping Aamir Khan for his controversial comments against the rising intolerance in the country. This act proves nothing but the factualness of his comment. The protesters have burnt Aamir Khan’s posters and even disrupted traffic outside the hotel where the actor was staying during a movie shoot. If this is the state of “tolerance” in India, then we fail to understand the meaning of this debatable word.
Shivanshu Srivastava
Lucknow
Reaching global stature
Apropos of the news story “CVC for mechanism to check corruption in private sector” (FE, November 25), it is a timely advice which calls for serious thought and consideration by the government. Given the reality that India is fast moving on the economic policy of privatising non-strategic public sector organisations—so as to give a leading role to public private partnerships (PPP), private sector organisations and foreign companies in the future development of the country—there is an urgent need to revamp the accounts and audit policy and systems, checking and prevention of corruption, and bringing transparency and accountability in reporting of financial results used by the shareholders, banks, financial institutions, tax authorities and other stakeholders for decision making. All listed companies having trade turnover of over a particular threshold should be subjected to internal audit by a separate chartered accountant other than the statutory auditor. A separate autonomous body or a separate department in the Sebi on the pattern of the CAG office in the government may be considered to monitor accounts and audit policy and checking and prevention of corruption in private sector organisations and cooperative organisations. The government decision to allow investment of EPFO and pensions funds in private equity and bonds also calls for strict monitoring of investee organisations. For India to reach its true global stature, we need to achieve global standards of doing business, transparency in reporting of financial results, and a business environment that is free of corruption.
Manga Ram
Faridabad