L E T T E R S    T O    T H E    E D I T O R

China, India need @@to learn from @@European Union@@I read your editorial “Hopes on Chindia front” (Nov1) with interest. You are right in saying that a stage has come when both India and China have to commit themselves to move towards an Asian century through mutual understanding and cooperation in all areas of growth of the Asian economy and perfect peace and harmony in this region. If political leaders and parties in both nations, irrespective of their ideologies and backgrounds, can realise that the past strategies of using the two nations, including Pakistan, for their geopolitical aims by the super powers are not allowed to flourish, the concept of “Chindia” could well get transformed into “Chindiapak”. @@China and India need to learn from the success of the model of the European Union, which started with six countries and has already grown to fifteen with more countries poised to join it. The Asian model can start with India and China, which should gradually rope in Pakistan, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey. @@The new Asian economic model can then also strive for a common currency. The move, if seriously pursued, could turn Asia into an economically, politically, socially and strategically a super power on the globe in times to come.@@TEJINDER SINGH BEDI, @@Faridabad  @@CBI’s ways @@The editorial “SC’s reprimand of CBI: Raja must see the writing on the wall” (Nov 1) exposes the incompetence and ineffectiveness of the UPA government. The CBI’s unethical and unprofessional ways affect the nation’s economy. So only officers of impeccable integrity and proven efficiency should be allowed to handle such sensitive cases. @@Political interference in the CBI’s functioning is reflected as some cases are dealt with alacrity and others with lethargy. This erodes the credibility of the government. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should sternly and promptly act now to rectify the situation even if it costs him his job. The country must be kept above all such degraded interests.@@S C VAID, Greater Noida@@‘Adarsh’ loot @@Nothing can be more shocking and shameful than the shameless manner in which prominent public figures and former Army chiefs have been found “elbowing out” the true sons of our motherland and real anchors of the Kargil victory as The Tribune has very boldly and sensibly argued (the editorial ‘Adarsh loot’, Nov 2). @@People haven’t forgotten the alleged sale of coffins meant for martyrs. It is quite disgusting and alarming to read in newspapers that the names of three ex-chief ministers, two Army chiefs and a former Navy chief figure in the Adarsh Housing Society scam. Do we as a ation have any conscience? @@These VVIPs misled the Defense Ministry and the nation as a whole by facilitating the loot of the flats meant for the Kargil martyrs. The Opposition is fully justified in demanding that a Supreme Court  Judge should investigate the Adarsh scam in Mumbai. @@I fully endorse The Tribune observation that “Now that the top people have been caught with their fingers in the till, there is a hollow-sounding show of innocence that they did not know that the flats were meant for people connected with the Kargil operations”. @@Vilasrao Deshmukh, Ashok Chavan and Sushil Kumar Shinde  have denied having favoured anyone. Then the question is: How did it happen? @@Dr RAJ BAHADUR YADAV, Fatehabad (Haryana)@@II@@The scam highlights the diminishing scruples of some of our senior defence officers. Having become used to luxurious living at the cost of their respective establishments, they begin to see this as an unsustainable lifestyle after retirement. @@It is then that they begin to take a cue from politicians and bureaucrats and decide to make the most of it during their last but influential years. @@Pleasing politicians and senior bureaucrats for lucrative post-retirement positions, releasing defence land for profit, helping corporate houses for jobs in return and giving away official information/secrets are some of the misdeeds they fall for, to the detriment of their fellow soldiers and the nation at large. @@They also tarnish the image of numerous others who have served with unflinching integrity making considerable sacrifices affecting both them and their families.@@Col (retd) A. S. Kapoor, Kharar

Review working of courts The article “Courts clogged up with huge arrears” by V. Eshwar Anand (Nov 1) needs serious consideration at the level of the Ministry of Law in view of the heavy backlog, which is a hindrance in the working of the judiciary. @@No doubt, a number of recommendations to solve the problem of pending cases have been made, I do not agree that political will and bureaucratic support will give a new life to the system. @@In fact, the root cause of the piling up of cases has not been properly studied. An increase in the number of courts and judges will not serve the purpose. Once I had to appear in a court for 26 times to record my statement as every time the next date was given with one or the other reason. @@There is need to review the working of courts. The target date for each case must be fixed to finalise the case. The delay in producing prosecution witnesses by the police is a major reason for unnecessary delay in disposing of cases. Computerisation of each court with proper infrastructure can reduce the burden of recording statements of witnesses. @@HARISH K. MONGA, Pune