Month: November 2019

Litmus Test “Who comes back to power is of little relevance so long as the militants continue with their nefarious activities. What matters is whether terrorism can be wiped out from the state.” S. NAGARATNAM, Mumbai Cheer Leaders The people of Jammu and Kashmir defied AK-47s and grenades, and the,Litmus Test”Who comes back to power is of little relevance so long as the militants continue with their nefarious activities. What matters is whether terrorism can be wiped out from the state.” S. NAGARATNAM, MumbaiCheer LeadersThe people of Jammu and Kashmir defied AK-47s and grenades, and the security forces bravely battled terrorists for the sake of democracy (“Big Fall for Big Change”, October 21). But in the end it has turned out to be the triumph of opportunistic, self-serving and power-hungry politicians. V.K. OJHA, on e-mailWhile celebrating the success of free and fair elections in Jammu and Kashmir we should not forget a few facts: this is not an end to the problems faced by the state, the militants have not returned home across the border, and coalition governments have had limited success in solving the problems of the people. At the same time we should also remember that our neighbour is still there to continue troubling us. Perhaps we are overreacting to the poll success. ISHANEE SHAH, AhmedabadWith the Abdullah family out of power, can one expect major changes in Jammu and Kashmir? That is something only time will tell but one thing is for sure: things cannot get any worse as they have already touched rock bottom. R. BALASUNDARAM, Mumbai”If Mother Teresa had miraculous curing powers, why didn’t the healing touch extend to the Pope and cure him of Parkinson’s disease?” DR M.S. PRASAD ChennaiOmar Abdullah mistook his stint in the Union ministry as experience but it only resulted in disaster for the National Conference. Omar should realise that it takes time to become a seasoned politician. RAKESH TANEJA, on e-mailThe heavy turnout in the Jammu and Kashmir elections will send wrong signals to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. He will strategically escalate cross-border militancy for his own survival unless substantial initiatives to check Pakistan is effected by the world community. PAREENAY, AhmedabadWhile the poll results may be giving anxious moments to chief ministers-in-waiting, what can be seen as heartening is that a hung Assembly is an extension of the overall confusing mandate in other states of India. PRAVEEN SINGH RATHORE, AhmedabadThe only losers in the Jammu and Kashmir elections were those who stayed away. Three cheers for Indian democracy. NAVNEET DHAWAN, DelhiStar TrekThe feature on Amitabh Bachchan on his 60th birthday was a fitting tribute to the living legend of the Hindi film industry ( “A Legend Turns 60”, October 21). He has acquired an iconic status not only in India but also abroad and has been mesmerising audiences for the past three decades with his acting skills and a deep, baritone voice. His fans look up to him as a messiah. Bachchan is indeed a phenomenon. DIPTIMAN BISWAS, Silchar, AssamGoing by the media coverage of his birthday, it looks as though Bachchan either puts up a facade of being reserved and media shy or he has no control over his media relations. SONALI POTA, MumbaiCarte BlancheThe opposition’s objection to the President’s acceptance of an invitation to eat at the prime minister’s house is much ado about nothing (“Protocol Question”, October 21). Is our President so gullible as to be influenced by a meal? Let us leave it to A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to decide on matters of protocol. After all, what is the harm in having a democratic President? A. JACOB SAHAYAM, Karigiri, Tamil NaduProtocol signifies feudalism. Those who oppose Kalam’s departure from it are representatives of forces of reaction. Let Kalam remain his own man. Only then can he be a good President. DR VINOY KUMAR SINHA, RanchiOff the RecordEvery political party is to be blamed for refusing to teach history as it happened in the states in which they rule (“Error and Trial”, October 21). While the communists cannot understand anything other than what Vladimir Lenin expounded, the socialists, the Muslim League and the National Conference cannot see history beyond Muslim rulers. As for the Congress, history begins with A.O. Hume and ends with Sonia Gandhi. So how can they believe that history goes beyond the realm of European civilisations? ADITYA RATHI, on e-mailBank DefaulterThe waters of an inter-state river cannot be the property of any one state (“Divine Intervention”, October 21). As per the Indian Constitution, an inter-state river belongs to all the states through which it flows. Hence the argument that in a year of distress, whatever water is available belongs to Karnataka alone is unjustified and devoid of moral values. In fact, the distress has to be shared by all the riparian states. The state of Karnataka has utilised Tamil Nadu’s share of water and complaints that the remaining water is inadequate for its future needs are manifestations of fictitious logic. K. SATHYANANDAN, on e-mailIt is unfortunate to see responsible persons like heads of state make undesirable statements in public. The verdict of the Supreme Court has to be followed but sadly, political people dare not only to disobey it but also give statements in contravention of the judgement. This is a dangerous trend for democracy and must be stopped immediately. M. KUMAR, on e-mailLeap YearFollowing a splendid performance in the Commonwealth Games, Indian athletes have again proved their mettle in the Asian Games (“All in the Family”, October 21). Though the tally may not look impressive when compared to that of Korea or Japan, what is noticeable is that Indian players are consistently improving their performance. The need of the hour is to provide more incentives to them both in terms of money and encouragement. After all, sports is no longer only about winning medals, it reflects the progress made by a country. Vivek Sharma, on e-mailDirty MindWhile Ravi Shankar is entitled to his views on Shama Fatehally’s book Reaching Bombay Central, his reference to a Patna-bound train as a metaphor for shab-biness and filth is objectionable (“Rail Mishap”, October 21). If Shankar had been on trains around Ambala in Haryana, Guntur in Andhra Pradesh or Andal and Howrah in West Bengal he would not have singled out only a train to Patna for comment. The fact is that we Indians do not show awareness about hygiene and cleanliness-it should be a matter of concern to everyone. People who appropriate the right to target Bihar and Biharis only show ignorance. R.R. SINHA, on e-mailCrying FoulThe quote attributed to Swami Narayan Swaroop Das, head of the trust that runs the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, is completely false (“Voices”, October 14). In fact, the BAPS Swaminarain Sanstha has publicly appreciated the action taken by the Government of India and the State Government in the wake of the unfortunate attack on Akshardham. DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION, Government of Gujarat, GandhinagarLate LamentedThe coldness shown by India’s scientific fraternity to Dr Subhas Mukherjee’s indigenous in-vitro fertilisation process proves that India shall always remain a Third World country (“Honour Restored”, October 14). Overawed by white skin, we genuflect to discoveries made in the West, however ordinary they may be. However, recognition of our own countrymen is not acceptable to us. What is the sense of posthumous recognition? DEEPAK SHARMA, on e-mailDr Mukherjee’s sad story reveals why India has not developed even after 55 years of Independence. Whenever someone strives for development in our country, there are several people who not only nullify their efforts but also pull them down. If Mukherjee was given the attention he deserved, he would have probably made many medical breakthroughs. Unless the Mukherjees are encouraged, India will remain a developing country. SRIKANTH BEJJANKI, Trichy, Tamil NaduLove PotionSMS may have given an unprecedented fillip to matters of love and sex but the magic spell of the handwritten word endures (“Love in the Time of SMS”, October 14). And so does that of the less talked-about but equally potent constituents of romance-an amorous glance, a call from afar, a nudge, even an occasional silence … Traditional atavistic modes, mores and makeup take a long time going. WING COMMANDER S.C. KAPOOR, NoidaAgreed that many people use SMS for quenching their sexual thirst but for the majority, it is just an excellent tool to keep in touch. Your story would have been meaningful if you had written about SMS stalkers and suggested ways to curb the menace. SIDDHARTH SINGH, on e-mailYour story was like a striptease of Indian middle-class values. In our dif fering responses to liberalisation, we seem to be imbibing the wrong attitudes of westernisation. The young and the middle-aged alike rush to embrace the social changes that tear the fragile fabric of the cohesive Indian middle class. All of us seem to have lost our critical faculties to sift media myths from moral attitudes. V. VENKATARAMAN, on e-mailRoll CallAzamgarh cannot be called a “badland” because of one Abu Salem (“End Game”, October 7). It is also the town that has produced renowned names like poet Kaifi Azmi, Vasudev Pandey (prime minister of Trinidad), Justice Suleiman, Shamila Bahtoi and so on. TAHIR ZAFAR FAROOQUI, AzamgarhadvertisementadvertisementadvertisementPresentation Pack “Of what use are image makers when each star looks just like the next one?” ANMOL GANDHI Mumbai”Bollywood is waking up only now but Satyajit Ray planned the look of his films back in the 1950s.” APARAJITA GANGULY on e-mail read more