"LIFE in little Lhasa" by Manpreet Singh (September 2) provides a glance into the community of the lamas. Perhaps the coming generation of lamas will never forgive the present generation for its inability to take back their homeland, Tibet. The number of Tibetan refugees is rising with each passing day. That the lamas are still considered refugees in India is unfortunate because they have been living in the country for the past 40 years. Many Tibetan who grew up in India have never even visited Tibet.

It is sad that the Tibetans living in McLeodganj have become victims of various addictions, including drugs. The international community, particularly the UNO, should multiply its efforts to ensure that the Tibetans get back their homeland.

UJAGAR SINGH
Chandigarh

The writer has sympathetically depicted the troubles and dreams of the exiled Tibetans living in India. They seem to have carved out a niche for themselves in a country that was once upon a time an unfamiliar land for them.

Their struggle for returning to their homeland must go on, but meanwhile, India has provided them with a comfortable and congenial second home and Indians have reached out to them in a humane and friendly manner. Over the years, most of them, specially ones belonging to the second generation, seem to have adjusted quite well in their adopted home land, their own peaceful demeanour also enabling them to be absorbed in the mainstream easily.

So long they are here, they are supposed to have become a part of the social fabric of this place. That has been the centuries old great tradition of India. If someone comes to India for shelter and help, India treats them as her own. Whether the stay is a short one or a long one, a guest is given a special status.

AMRIT PAL TIWANA
Kalka

This refers to the article "Flawed law and a sleeping watchdog" by Lalit Mohan (August 12). As a member of the Voluntary Consumer Association in Gurgaon, assisting consumers in a number of malpractice cases involving colonisers, I appreciate the information given in the article.

The Director, Town and Country Planning (DTCP), should be blamed for certain undesirable acts like looking the other way while innumerable tubewells are being illegally dug at various sites, thus lowering the water table and causing water shortage, encouraging encroachments due to the laxity of the enforcement staff of the DTCP; encouraging business in residential areas, in spite of the fact that most of the designated commercial areas are lying unused.

Due to the non-enforcement of the Haryana Apartment Act, consumers have also suffered greatly as this has led to the incorrect registration of their properties.

H.N. HANDA
Gurgaon

This refers to Khushwant Singh’s column "This above all". (September 2). The noted author has made a significant observation with regard to the performance of our Bollywood film actors. He feels that actors like Dilip Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Dev Anand, Kapoor brothers, Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha are unaware of the difference between acting on stage and acting for the screen. He is, however, full of praise for Saeed Jaffrey and Naseeruddin Shah for their natural acting style. In his list of few glorious exceptions, apart from Saeed Jaffrey, Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Jaya Bachchan , no other names are mentioned. However, Balraj Sahni, Motilal and Madhubala were also natural performers.

While it may be perhaps too late in life and rather difficult for Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha to change their acting style, but the younger lot of actors can certainly benefit from this advice.

ONKAR CHOPRA
New Delhi

Khushwant Singh (This above all, September 2) throws light on Veerappan who hopes to join politics. Phoolan Devi, a dacoit-turned MP, pales into insignificance when compared to Veerappan. The day he abducted matinee idol Raj Kumar a national daily chronicled his (Veerappan’s) life thus: Age: 57, profession: poaching, smuggling (he poached ivory worth Rs 12 crore and smuggled sandalwood worth nearly 100 crore), killing, kidnapping; hits: 130 murders, slaughtered 2000 elephants.

It’s time the governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu doubled their efforts to catch Veerappan, failing which the centre should act.

S.S. JAIN
Chandigarh

Apropos of Khushwant Singh’s column "This above all" (September 2), the writer has narrated a joke about inferiority complex. Inferiority complex is commonly encountered among men and women from every walk of life.

To protect yourself from this complex, recognise that you can overcome it with your will power. Use your will power to build a wall of immunity against negative complexes, including inferiority complex.

O.P. SHARMA
Faridabad