Sir — It was wonderful to learn that Pope Francis has announced a Church-wide institution of a ‘World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly’ in a bid honour the aged and emphasize their importance in society. The Covid-19 pandemic — the disease puts the elderly disproportionately at risk — has led to a renewed realization about the vulnerability of this constituency. We increasingly live in a world that only recognizes an individual in terms of their productivity. Institutional recognition coupled with family values can go a long way in ensuring the welfare of the elderly.

Sanav C. Chakraborty,
Calcutta

Alarming truth

Sir — It was disheartening to read that according to Oxfam International’s latest report, The Inequality Virus, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a further increase in economic inequality across the world. The global survey of 295 economists — this includes Jeffrey Sachs, Jayati Ghosh and Gabriel Zucman — from 79 countries shows that they expect a ‘major increase’ in income inequality in their country. According to the report, India’s richest 1 per cent hold more than four times the wealth held by the bottom 70 per cent of the country’s population. These numbers are alarming. It is our flawed economic system that is responsible for this imbalance. The economic divide is gendered as well; women and girls are systematically exploited for their labour.

As India slowly tries to recover from the onslaught of Covid-19, the Centre must rebuild the economy in such a way that it works for the benefit of all citizens, and not just the privileged few. It must invest in the publicsector, create new jobs, tax fairly and ensure that everyone has access to quality education, health and food. It is only then that we can build a fair society.

Ranganathan Sivakumar,
Chennai

Sir — The old adage that the rich are getting richer and the poor even poorer rings especially true now, during the pandemic. It seems that Covid-19 has exacerbated the existing inequalities in Indian society. There are few countriesin which economic inequality is as stark as it is in India, as shown by the findings of the Oxfam report. At a time when most people in the country were struggling to make ends meet, Indian billionaires increased their wealth by 35 per cent.

The economic policies of India are such that they facilitate the amassing of wealth by big corporations. Radical changes must be brought about in our economic system to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. It remains to be seen whether the provisions in the new budget are at all effective in addressing the concerns raised by Oxfam. It is of utmost importance that we work towards creating an equitable India.

G. David Milton,
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Shameful act

Sir — It was shocking to learn that a team of the Indore Municipal Corporation recently attempted to dump a group of homeless elderly people outside the city limits (“Indore bid to dump homeless”, Jan 31). They were presumably gathered from within the city and were about to be left on the highway in the freezing cold when villagers from the nearby Kshipra area intervened. It was only after their vehement protests that the elders were taken back. Is this what is meant by ‘cleanliness’ in Indore, which has won the tag of the “cleanest city” in the country four times in a row?

The chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has since condemned the incident and suspended a municipal deputy commissioner and sacked two other employees. Nonetheless, it is evident that something like this could not have occurred without the knowledge of senior bureaucrats. The shock from the news was amplified when I learnt on the very same day that Karnataka, another state ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party, plans to set up two cow shelters in every taluk for cattle in need of care. The difference in the authorities’ concern about cows and the elderly speaks volumes about the government in this country.

Tharcius S. Fernando,
Chennai