Killer waves

The tsunamis caused severe damage to life and property within a few hours on December 26, 2004, in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Maldives ("Killer waves", January 14).

It was an unexpected and unprecedented tragedy, which could have been averted if India had installed the tsunami warning system. Now the onus is on the governments, non-governmental organisations, international institutions, donors and people to provide relief to the victims and arrange for their rehabilitation.

Akhil KumarNew Delhi

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The disaster is not the first of its kind in India. Such natural calamities should be predicted so that appropriate safeguards can be put in place to minimise the loss of lives.

Mahesh KapasiNew Delhi

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Kudos to Frontline for the speedy coverage of the tsunami. Your issue was out on the stands on December 29, within four days of the disaster. Your team has done a splendid job of providing 11 pages to cover this event alone.

M. RajaramanPondicherry

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The disaster shows the utter failure of the government to protect the public from natural calamities. The Supreme Court should order the Central government to install earthquake and tsunami warning systems immediately. It must also order an inquiry into the failure of our seismologists to warn the public about the possibility of a devastating tsunami.

S. PrakashTiruchi

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The ferocity of the tsunami was unimaginable. What leaves one in shock and despair is that people were completely unprepared for such a disaster. However, it is heartwarming to note that the whole country has risen to the occasion and provided support and relief to the victims.

R.R. SamiTiruvannamalai

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I take strong exception to your photograph of the mass burial of the tsunami victims at Velipalayam in Nagapattinam. You have violated the dignity of the dead.

G. RadhakrishnanThiruvananthapuram

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The killer tsunamis hitting South Asia have once again demonstrated the fury of nature and the tragedy it can cause. It shows us that nature can be as harsh as it is benevolent.

Siddhartha Raj GuhaJabalpur

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Both missionaries and mercenaries are at the devastated areas with totally opposing attitudes and interests. We need people of integrity and honesty to manage the task of providing succour to the affected people.

S.R. DevaprakashTumkur, Karnataka

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While it is heartening to know that many countries are pouring in money and relief materials and medical/rescue teams, one only hopes that the help rendered will reach the people in need. India, despite being affected by the calamity, should feel proud that it sent relief and rescue teams to neighbouring Sri Lanka.

S. BalakrishnanJamshedpur

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Great strides have been made in the developed countries in tracking storms and keeping watch on unusual atmospheric changes. But in developing countries like ours, both forecasting and disaster management remain hopelessly inadequate.

A. MeghanaHyderabad

Election battles

It seems that Laloo Prasad Yadav has his own code of conduct ("Election battles", January 14). Anyone who hands out money during election time is definitely violating the code of conduct laid down by the Election Commission.

M. KumarNew Delhi

Employment

The analysis of the World Employment Report brought out by the International Labour Organisation has come out with some possible solutions to the problems faced by the country ("The employment challenge", January 14). The agricultural sector has to be revived to improve the livelihood of the majority of people. Land reforms is not a mantra, but a pragmatic step to generate employment opportunities.

Viji GaneshMadurai

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The employment guarantee scheme is now considered a panacea for the serious national problem of unemployment ("Promises to keep", December 31). Looking back, had all public sector undertakings been by working in the interests of the people, and building infrastructure and assets for rural areas in a planned manner, the situation would not have been so bad.

As it is, people have not only been deprived of essential services, but have also faced unemployment.

In the absence of definite plans with regard to the minimum employment guarantee scheme in terms of project frameworks, cost estimates, specific resource identification, strict auditing and technical evaluation and so on, the success of the scheme is doubtful.

C.R. BhattacharjeeKolkata

AIDS

The government has to take steps for the rehabilitation of HIV positive women and children ("To live with dignity", December 31). We should also support private institutions that help to fight against the disease.

Rahul PadaviNandurbar, Maharashtra

M.S. Subbulakshmi

The Cover Story on the music maestro M.S. Subbulakshmi was enlightening ("Enduring music", December 31). Her journey across the world of music was marked by complete dedication to her vocation. Her humble presence, simple existence and mellifluous voice bear the imprint of the kind of human being she was. Admirers across the world will miss her new creations.

Shreya NandyKolkata

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The Cover Story paid rich encomiums to a life lived for music. It showed how hard she worked to attain mastery over her music and diction. In August 1952, I was fortunate enough to hear her sing `Sabapathiku' at the Gokale Hall in Chennai. Her alapana of Abogi raga was divine.

N.S. RamanathanTiruchi

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The issue should be treasured for generations to come. The cover photograph speaks volumes of M.S.' devotion, strength and greatness.

Jyotibhai DesaiSurat

The dollar conundrum

This refers to "The dollar conundrum" (December 17). The dollar's current weakness is attributable to the United States' record trade deficit. The rupee-dollar exchange rate has been characterised by extreme volatility. For India, the hardening of the rupee has important implications. The positive spin-offs of an appreciating rupee include gains to borrowers of foreign currency, benefits to consumers from the softening of inflation and a fall in the rupee value of external debt. While the profit margin of some exporters, especially those exporting traditional goods with low import content and high value addition, may have been adversely affected by the hardening of the rupee, such concerns in general need to be tempered by the fact that a strong rupee would have brought down the cost of imported inputs for other exporters with a high import content in their exports.

Meenakshi ChandiramaniNew Delhi

Crime prevention

R.K. Raghavan is perhaps the only writer in India who looks at criminal justice issues in a scholarly way ("Crime prevention research", December 17). His articles get the message across to as many people as possible. Each article carries important messages, which if implemented by policy makers, would result in a vast improvement in the quality of life for the common man. He talks knowledgeably of not only the Indian criminal justice system but world systems as well.

Sheetal RanjanPh.D Research Scholar, John Jay College of Criminal Justice,New YorkReceived on e-mail

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R.K. Raghavan must write about the fast criminalisation of the police force throughout India.

A.K. KhanBilaspur