Two of the most virulent vices retarding the progress of the country is caste and corruption. Both are against humanity itself.

While there are corruption all over the world, it is mainly limited at the high or highest level in most of the other countries. But in India, it is from top to the bottom. Common people have to face the  problem at each and every level which makes their daily life miserable. British authors mentioned that their officers who worked in India became corrupt after they were here.

Caste discrimination has dehumanised the Indian Society. Despite continued efforts by governments, political leaders, social workers, religious heads and others this curse continues to exist.

Sustained and determined efforts along with strict enforcement of laws against these two vices are necessary to eliminate them.

The Modi government is selling PSUs, one after another, to get some paltry amount as also to benefit the corporates to increase their assets and profits. It is almost as the PSUs are gifted
to private considering the total asset value of the PSU, its bank balance, huge area of land in prime cities etc. But the corporates want the prices to be reduced further more. The fact that no corporate was there for purchasing 76% shares of Air India, underlines this trick.

Instead of disinvestment, sale or privatisation, what is required is to modernise Air India, streamline the functions, take the employees and workers in to confidence and stop the favouritism to private airlines. It is nothing less than a national crime to sell, the pride of the nation, ‘the temples of modern India’ as the first Prime Minister called the PSUs, to the greedy corporates for increasing their profits. The huge bills due by the central government for using the AI by the Ministers, high level officers etc. should be paid immediately.

The political parties and trade unions have a responsibility to ensure that no more PSU is closed or sold or disinvested during the last one year period of the Modi government.

Ignoring Kerala development is the agenda of the Modi Government.

The latest in this series is the statement of the Railway Minister Piyush Goyal that the central government has no immediate plans for construction of the Railway Coach Factory at Kanjikode, Palakkad, which the state government was demanding for a long time and where some initial work had already started.

The justification for the present decision as per Railway minister is that there is no dearth of railway coaches and adequate facilities are already there for the construction of coaches. It is clear that this is a lame excuse to shift the factory to some other states.

Com.M.B.Rajesh, M.P., has taken the issue with all seriousness to the central government.

Several investigations have found out that the continued and increased global warming has become a threat to the mountains and mountains of icebergs in the Antarctica and some of them have started drifting in to the sea. This will mean that they will move again and will start melting which will raise the sea level all over the world submerging the entire coastal areas. It is estimated that since 1992, Antarctica has lost three trillion tonnes of of ice. Oceans are rising by 0.13 inches every year at present. It may increase if the global warming increases and if the massive glaciers of West Antarctica float away and melt, the water may rise up to 11 feet, which will be a big disaster.

But despite all these valid information, US and other developed countries are reluctant to reduce their greenhouse gas which is much higher than the developing countries. They are trying to put the onus on the developing and poor countries. To avoid a catastrophe, all the countries should jointly plan and act for the future generations. (With inputs from The Hindu)