M A I L B A G

We must look to peace, not war

Either the Bush administration is extremely naïve or extremely dangerous. In its approach to India and Pakistan, it has taken up positions which could cause immense damage to both countries in every conceivable areas of life and living — most of all in matters of peace which both countries desperately need and are desperately striving to acquire.

Just when the two countries are moving towards peace politically, diplomatically and through the peoples’ embrace, brushing aside the ugly stains of the misunderstood past, the US steps in to throw a spanner into the works by its incredible offer of advanced dangerous war machines to both countries.

What is the necessity and urgency of this offer? This is something the leaders and people of both countries must earnestly consider and thwart the perilous consequences that can follow and bury peace in the continent itself forever. This is not an alarmist cry to be scoffed and laughed at. I know that many intellectuals, theorists and even senior officers in our armed forces have welcomed the American offers. Astonishingly, our Defence Minister is one of them. I am nobody. Yet I believe I have a case against, and I am certain, millions will endorse my stand.

SOM BENEGAL, New Delhi

II

Criminal legislatures are the product of a political system that tolerates the sale and purchase of votes, impersonation, booth capturing etc, as well as sale and purchase of MPs/MLAs in making and unmaking of ministries. The need of the hour is to change the system.

As the common people are the real sufferers, they can only undo the wrong and teach the politicians a lesson under the guidance of honest and fearless media and not the so-called MPs/MLAs elected through money or muscle power.

PRAN SALHOTRA, Gurdaspur

III

Every right thinking person shares the anguish expressed by Mr Dua, on the state of affairs. President Kalam’s thoughts are noble. Arun Gawli and Pappu Yadav are, however, not so dangerous as the Laloos, Shibu Sorens, Mayawatis, Jayalalithaas et al.

The media should rectify the distortions in our political system by looking at things objectively and from a nationalistic angle. Godmen too should exhort their followers to lead a moral and ethical life on this planet than to prepare for life  after death.

GEETANJALI KORPAL, Advocate, Amritsar

Churchill & ‘men of straw’ One point which appears rather incidentally in the middle, “Wardrobe malfunction” (March 26) just compels comment. It is the remark that “Churchill, with his tongue firmly in his cheek termed the Mahatma a “naked faqir”. This is impossible to understand. Far from making a tongue-in-cheek or ironical reference to the way Mahatma was dressed, Churchill was clearly ridiculing it in right earnest. In fact, he never made any secret of how poorly he thought of Indians and their leaders. When they happened to be in England for one of the Round Table conferences, an aide of Churchill suggested his meeting some of them as that might help him in clearing his views about India. Churchill is on record saying, “I am quite satisfied regarding my views on that subject and have no desire to meet any (expletive) Indians”. Again, bitterly apposed as he was to the British departing from India, he lamented that the country was being left in the hands of “men of straw”. SAROOP KRISHEN, Chandigarh

Limits to endurance

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s cautious address to the parliamentarians must be deliberated upon seriously and urgently to pull our democracy out of the quagmire created by political “horse trading” through unethical corrupt practices.

In his front-page editorial “Some bare truths” (March 23), H.K. Dua has rightly concluded that people in our country are patient, but there is a limit to endurance. We must fight corruption, gangsters and political tradability unitedly to prevent democracy from descending to anarchy and the rule of the jungle. Firm Presidential intervention is needed to prevent confrontation between the legislature and the judiciary. Also a strong electoral system with enhanced powers to the Election Commission is imperative.

Brig H.S. CHANDEL (retd), Malanger (HP)