Jet Airways employees deserve sympathy

Jet Airways which only last year celebrated its 25th anniversary, has been brought down to the ground due to the weight of a billion-dollar debt and unwillingness of the lenders to advance more money.

The harried passengers, besides the suddenly jobless staff, are naturally demanding intervention of the government to keep the airline afloat.

While the government may like to maintain a hands-off approach, especially during the election season, it needs to step in and try to stabilise the sector.

With its shutdown ,22,000 persons have lost their livelihood but not a single political party has raised any voice.

If loan waiver to the tune of lakhs of crores can be done to help farmers, half of whom do not have farming as a full time occupation, and if thousands of crores of public money can be inducted into Air India, a public sector carrier, then why could the government not induct money in India's largest private airline as equity to save 22000-odd jobs?

K S Padmanabhan, Chennai