Not a single High Tech corporate, big IT MNC, renowned hospital chains, best of higher educational institutes, world class (5 Star) hotels and luxury shopping malls have presence in Tripura - being the second most populous state in the North East with a literacy rate crossing 90% (number of unemployment stands 6 lakhs!). The need of the hour is to set up IT zones, Industrial corridors (in the line of Delhi - Mumbai corridor) with invitation to big IT MNCs (IBM, Accenture, TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL, Cognizant), world class hospital chains (Fortis, Appolo, Manipal),world class hotel chains (taj, leela, oberoi, ITC), world class retail outlet chains (Walmart, IKEA, Pantaloons, Shoppers stop, Croma, Reliance Retail etc) to set up their presence at Agartala!

Sanjib
Via email

Appreciations from all Indian Gorkhas will not be enough for such a wonderful man of Art!

Biru Amos Kaushal
Via email

In the year 2010, the World Bank reported that 32.7% of the total population of India fall below the international poverty line of US$ 1.25 per day. More recently, in 2013, a United Nations report stated that a third of the world’s poorest population live in India. These facts are understandable when one takes into account the looting that is going on in the country under the very nose of the authorities. Numerous scams such as the Commonwealth Games scam, the 2G Spectrum Allocation scam, the Adarsh Housing scam have contributed immensely to this ill repute that the country has gained. Leave alone the issue of black money stashed in overseas account which was the hot topic a few years ago. What has happened to that issue? It has been buried under paperwork and official jargon. The recent expose of a Tripura CPI (M) worker sleeping on a bed of cash is another example of this kind of loot. Let us not forget that Tripura, as with the case of most North East states, survives on doles from the Central Government. This recent expose has shown where this money from the Central Government actually ends up – in the pockets of political party functionaries, bureaucrats and politicians. When will this be stopped? When will there finally be a semblance of accountability in India?

Mohan Mishra
Via e mail

The burning of Vikash Nandwal was a murder, plain and simple. Heinous acts such as these have no place in a civilized society and it has been rightly condemned by all sections of the society. It is also amazing that the NGOs agitating for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit have washed their hands off the incident. It has been surmised that this heinous act was a direct result of this movement in Meghalaya and many subscribe to this view. That being said, with the impasse entering its third month, I see no visible outcome as both the State Government and the agitating NGOs are not willing to back down. In such a situation, there is a very high chance that such acts of violence will once again be repeated, however much we hope that they do not. Keeping in mind this threat and the dangers posed to innocent lives such as Vikash’s, a solution to this vexed problem needs to be arrived at and the earlier the better.

Phibapynhun Dkhar
Via email