MyVoice: Views of our readers 6th March 2021

Vaccination needs to be pursued aggressively

India has successfully developed the vaccine, manufactured the vaccine and planned the supply chain in a way that it reaches the vaccination centers in safe and sufficient quantities.

In a country like India, where scientific literacy is just improving, where the vaccine hesitation is still marginal, and when the clear communication is yet to be established, successful implementation is a major challenge for Government of India (GoI). Massive vaccination can help us come out of Covid-19 fears.

Now as the vaccination centres are equipped with skilled nurses and sufficient doses, the main focus has to shift towards improving the demand for the vaccine. Demand can be improved in two ways, by Market Push and Market Pull. The GoI has to work in both ways to achieve successful vaccination drives.

First, Market Push, there are certain things GoI can do to improve the vaccination rate. One, doing extensive publicity using both traditional and digital mediums, with 'Safe and Easy to Get' as the core value of promotion. Two, encouraging all government offices staff and their families get vaccinated, to create secure workplaces. Three, coordinate with corporates where there are major employees, to vaccinate their employees. Doing these three things will cover both innovators and early adopters, comprising 16 per cent of the product adaptation curve.

Second, Market Pull. With 16 per cent of the product adaptation curve already covered, our strategy should be devised to cover the next 68 per cent comprising Early Majority and Late Majority. To appeal to this 68 per cent, the promotion should be more intensified with core value being safe and affordable vaccines. The vaccination centers have to be increased and wide publicity on registration steps and further vaccination process should be carried out. Parallelly, resolving grievances and clearing the fog around vaccination should be consistently done to build trust among the public.

Madishetti Vishal, Hanamkonda

Undervaluing PSUs, a crime

It is a known fact that core industries were brought under public sector as the domestic businessmen did not have resources to invest in such huge and capital intensive projects and it was also the plan of the then ruling party to provide raw materials and infrastructure at a very economical cost to domestic players. It served the purpose. Most of the industrial majors of this day are the beneficiaries of the PSUs. Most of the bank loans offered and not repaid to be written off are from PSU banks.

Having grown more than life size they are equipped to even by the same PSUs which enabled their gigantic growth. Most probably even to acquire such PSUs again banks are to advance, which may or may not be repaid and may ultimately have to be written off. Mandate given is to preserve and promote people's assets. But selling them away quoting vague reasons speaks more of inefficiency of the rulers rather than their nationalist spirit. In the process the social welfare schemes are going to be axed adding further to the untold hardships of the have-nots. One wonders why a property like Vizag Steel Plant worth around Rs.3 lakh crore should be thrown away at a cheaper cost of around Rs.5000 crores. This creates a natural suspicion in the minds of all. It is time for the rulers to respect the sentiments of the people and reverse their decisions to repose confidence in the minds of all.

A G Rajmohan, Anantapur

Cap petrol price

For the past one month, the petrol and diesel prices are increasing almost on daily basis hurting the common people. Now the Government may heed to the recommendations of Ecowrap, which is the research wing of SBI, by setting up a stabilisation fund (page 11. March 5). Instead of blaming previous governments for the increase in the petrol prices, the government can further study and simply follow Ecowrap's suggestion, which was well supported by statistical analysis. Establishing and operating these recommendations will surely stabilise the petrol prices and be like a boon for the common people.

G V N Murthy, Hyderabad

GOP has problems galore

Apropos, the editorial "For Congress, it is better to act late, than never", (The Hans India, February 5). The rift in the Congress has deepened. First, a rally was held in Jammu, ostensibly to honour Ghulam Nabi Azad, which saw the presence of key members of G-23, the dissenters who wrote a letter demanding organisational changes in the party. Azad then praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi — which led to Congress workers demanding his removal. Another G23 leader, Anand Sharma, criticised the party's decision to ally with a political outfit led by a Muslim cleric in Bengal — which prompted a fierce response from others close to the party high command.

Four separate issues have come together in the Congress. One, there is a general sense of drift after two consecutive Lok Sabha poll defeats, and erosion of faith in Rahul Gandhi's ability to deliver victories. Two, there is an organisational crisis where internal channels to express and resolve grievances have collapsed and the leadership structure is unclear. Three, there are unfulfilled personal ambitions, including that of the dissenters, which have now led them to speak up. And four, there is jostling to position oneself for possible elections to the Congress Working Committee and other positions.

If this rift in the Congress leads to a stronger opposition, it is good for democracy. But the challenge for the challengers is that they seem to lack the mass base outside the party and internal strength within the party to force a change in leadership. The party establishment has co-opted a set of G-23 leaders. At the same time, the Congress leadership should recognise that its real challenge is not the dissenters, but the party's failure to win the confidence of citizens in elections.

N Sadhasiva Reddy, Bengaluru