KASHMIR-The Larger Issue

Dangerous Move IN his budget speech the finance minister waxed eloquent over the need for a drive against black money. In the same speech he also announced the government's decision to abolish the Gold Control Act the legislation which has since 1963 regulated domestic trade in gold including gold jewellery. The broad objective of the Act was to curb the domestic demand for gold but this objective the finance minister averred the legislation had been largely ineffective' in achieving. On the other hand, it had caused hardship and harassment to small goldsmiths.