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

Mandela’s sorrow

Apropos “Birthday for Mandela, not a happy one though” by Raj Chengappa (Ground Zero, July 22), the man who fought an epic battle against apartheid in South Africa is undoubtedly “the last of the great leaders alive who straddled the 20th century like a colossus.” South Africa has attained political emancipation but the social divide persists. Unless there is an appropriate strategy for structural change in society, this is bound to happen. This is true of India too. Mahatma Gandhi’s heart bled for peasants. However, in Independent India, peasants continue to commit suicide.

D.R. Chaudhry, Rohtak

II

South Africa’s situation compares with India. Vested interests in the African National Congress have created a vicious power axis, just as constituents of the UPA are pulling in different directions at the cost of national interest. Important legislative and economic reforms are being blocked. Corruption and nepotism in the land of Mahatma Gandhi is much like in that of Mandela’s. While Mandela is not so happy at 94, Gandhi was killed by an assassin’s bullets soon after freedom. God save both nations.

Iqbal Kaur Saini, Mohali

III

The grand old man of South Africa has every reason to feel satisfied. But he must be painfully aware how hard it is to create a harmonious society that ensures equality of opportunity to all citizens. The problems they face are no less daunting than India’s. Gandhi brought us to freedom, but must have died broken hearted.

Ram Varma, email

Brave roadies

Vijay Mohan’s “Cutting through a frozen barrier” (Perspective, July 22) reminded me of my road journey to Rohtang Pass on motorbikes with friends in my youth. While the beauty of snow-clad peaks is unforgettable, I was highly impressed by the work of the Border Roads Organisation, without whose efforts many nooks and corners of the country would still have been inaccessible. It is mesmerising to imagine how difficult it might be to build at such high altitudes (sometimes at 18,000 feet). Unfortunately, the organisation has not received due credit for its herculean efforts.

Dr Mukesh Sharma, Shreveport, LA

Patience lacking

Apropos “Goodbye to good manners” by Aruti Nayar (Spectrum, July 22), rudeness is common because people are too ambitious. One may get what one wants in the long run, but it requires patience. Ambition without wanting to work for it results in frustration and anger, which leads to indecent behaviour. Accept people around you; do not try to change them. Be satisfied with your efforts and have patience for the results.

Mahesh Kumar, New Delhi

II

Everyone blames the other without self-introspection. Indian value systems are under transition. Old values have gone and new have not yet emerged. To make life tolerable, if not beautiful, we have to accept people around us as they are. Think of things that we have control over, and not bother about anything else.

M.M. Goel, Kurukshetra

Romantic Khanna

This refers to Kishwar Desai’s “Rajesh Khanna and Indian women” (Fifty Fifty, July 22). While romanticising the ’70s and ’80s, the writer must be referring to the elite class. Even in those days girls were not allowed much freedom. Honour killings were common then too, only there was not as much media highlighting the cases. On the other hand, Rajesh Khanna’s popularity as ‘the most eligible bachelor’ was part of only the reel or fantasy world. The reality was that he could not enjoy the true love of any one girl.

Usha Taneja, Fatehabad

Balbir Singh (Senior)

This refers to “True son of India” (Spectrum, July 15) by Ajaib Singh Matharu, a hockey Olympian from Uganda. Balbir Singh Sr deserves the Bharat Ratna for his unparalleled contribution in the field of hockey. He brought laurels to India by winning the gold in the 1948 London Olympics, and creating history by scoring a record five out of the six goals scored in the 1956 Helsinki Olympic finals. And these are only a few of his achievements.

S.K. Gupta, Chandigarh