Punjabi Passions (July 27) made for interesting reading. However, it’s not Punjabification that’s happening to our country but Indianisation. What ‘Hindi imposition’ couldn’t achieve, modernisation did. Unified India without the help of a foreign language! The south Indian idli-dosa, the Punjabi tandoori and the Bengali rasogolla have become national dishes. While Tamilian A.R. Rehman sets a new beat for Vande Mataram, Punjab’s Daler Mehndi makes the nation dance to his tunes. The salwar kameez can now be our national dress.
N. Balasubramanian, New Delhi
By Royal Decree (July 27) details a welcome development in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. The dissidents who complain that the proposed measures are not enough to usher in full-scale democracy must appreciate the fact that even a small step forward must be accepted. Whatever be the reason for King Jigme Singye Wangchuk to relinquish some power to the people’s representatives, he must now guide the landlocked country towards democracy by acting as a guardian. The royalty in Spain and the Netherlands is highly respected and they’re democracies where the people’s voice carries weight. The King should now devote attention to the problem of refugees and the menace of insurgents. The present national assembly must be dissolved and fresh elections ordered so that people feel they’re now part of the decision-making process.
D.B.N. Murthy, Bangalore
I fully agree with the views expressed in Daylight Robbery (July 27) that income tax should be levied only on the employees’ basic pay, not on DA, HRA and CCA. The HRA and CCA shouldn’t be included in the total income since officers of the same rank and post may have different allowances, often even if they’re posted in the same place. An officer not availing of official accommodation pays tax on HRA while his colleague who occupies residence provided by the office doesn’t pay tax even though his pay may be more. Again, an officer posted in an A+ class city has to pay tax; his counterpart posted in a distant location may not, even if his basic pay is more.
Y.H. Kuldeep, Mumbai
The article Sniping at Vajpayee’s Heels (July 27) quotes a ‘senior bureaucrat’ as saying: "Indira
Gandhi with her instinct for centralising all power in her hands and riding roughshod over the bureaucracy was one extreme, but the current dispensation seems to be travelling the path to the other." I’d like to remind him that Indira Gandhi had been described as a "dumb doll" and "a prisoner of indecision" in her early days as PM. Only later was she recognised as the "only man in this House". Shouldn’t Vajpayee too be given more time?
Satya Prakash, Delhi
Of all the pictures of Vajpayee that are available, you had to print one in which he’s getting a haircut. Lately, as in the case of your articles and opinion polls (read: Sonia promos), you seem to be losing your sense of taste and moderation. What next—Sonia in a bathtub?
R.S. Narayan, Ahmedabad
There’s euphoria among the urban men in our country about the Power Pill (July 27). But I don’t think Indian men require Viagra at all. Our population is already close to touching one thousand million. Instead it’s the ruptured and nearly collapsed Indian economy which needs to be put on Viagra so that it can reclaim its lost vigour, vitality and energy.
Dharmesh Kumar, Jaipur
Can the land of Kamasutra develop a Kamagra which can make our sex drive active but at the same time make the sperms inactive? It’s desperately needed to stop this population explosion.
Jatinder Singh Narula, New Delhi
It’s shameful that Indians, inhabitants of the land of Vatsyayan’s Kamasutra, are blindly running after Viagra, which for all its hype seems to be just another fad sweeping the West at present. Sons of India, stand erect and realise that there’s nothing that works magic like a caring, loving and understanding partner. A small dose of love and affection does much more than a million Viagra tablets.
Deepak Sapra, Mumbai
Viagra was bound to receive a warm welcome in India, given our obsession with sex which remains a topic to be discussed within the cosy confines of our homes even in this day and age. Men are likely to try this much hyped pill only to express their sexuality which is considered a symbol of machismo. The feature on Viagra did a good job in clearly debunking misconceptions that may lead to disappointment ultimately. It’s specific to an ailment and not a booster for one’s sexual performance.
Anand Srinivasan, Mumbai
Here are a few suggestions on what to call the desi Viagra: Lookout, Hardy, Screwdriver, Inflato, Angler, deBobbit, Eureka, Billdo, Blossom, Vive La Joy, Champion, Topaz, Winner, Tighto, Hotshot, Cool, Spiral, Dart, Show, Hawk, Raise, Elevator, Feat, Rocket, Action, Want, Libidocare, Potent, Benefit, Flypast, Enhancer, Intimate, Selixir, Maj-orsaab, Royal Salute, Dayavan.
Dr Nilesh Baxi, Mumbai
Amitabh Bachchan had attempted to do ‘different’ films even earlier—Alaap, Main Azad Hoon—but they all bombed at the box-office (The Mirror Has Two Faces, July 20). His other films—Anand, Namak Haraam, Abhimaan, Chupke Chupke, Mili, Jurmana—with Hrishikesh Mukherjee weren’t run-of-the-mill either but they managed to click. Yash Chopra successfully handled both his angry young man (Deewar, Trishul, Kaala Pat-har) and his romantic (Kabhi Kabhi, Silsila) image. So, it’s directors of his calibre as well as ones like Gulzar, Benegal, Nihalani, Mahesh Bhatt and Mani Ratnam who can do justice to the talent and age of Bollywood’s brightest star.
Dr Pradeep Shetty, Jodumarga, Karnataka
It must have been an agonising read for fans of Amitabh, who dwarfed every other contemporary actor without exception. His was a Midas touch as far as Hindi cinema went. One looks back with nostalgia at his performances in Deewar, Sholay, Kabhi Kabhi and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar. Back then, the release of his movies was awaited with bated breath both by his producers and by his fans—they were seldom disappointed. Contrast it with his present day appearances in two-bit ads which make his fans feel miserable and let down. They always believed a tiger doesn’t eat grass even when it’s hungry. To quote Shakespeare (Hamlet), this is how his fans must be feeling: "Woe is me to see what I see and to have seen what I have seen."
D.V. Madhava Rao, Chennai
Kalyan Singh’s interview (Bullet Raj Backfires, July 20) exposes the wicked mindset of the BJP-led ‘collision’ government. We in Punjab know what harm a ruthless tyrant and blind ruler can bring to a state and wish the BJP high command would check the fire-fighting measures Singh is adopting to combat anti-social forces in UP. One can’t expect anything better from a chief minister who first allows the demolition of the Babri Masjid, then makes an unsuccessful attempt to remove the black mole from his collar by resigning from his post. But if the Centre fails to nip Singh’s evil designs, the BJP will be wiped out in the state like the Congress was uprooted from Punjab forever.
Arunjeev Singh Walia, Chandigarh
The list of MPs who have defaulted on their bills is simply staggering (To Nab the Dot Busters, July 13). A Chandra Shekhar, Pilot, Ghani Khan and PVN, to quote from the long list of revolting names, should have a sense of shame. The Indian judiciary has become a laughing stock; it has one set of laws for the electorate and another for the elected! When will this farce end?
Major E.N. Viswanath, Tiruchirapalli
The despotism of Indira and Sanjay, the immaturity of Rajiv and now considering a foreigner—who wasn’t even a citizen of this country till 15 years ago—as the PM (Still Not so Sure about Sonia, July 13)! When will Indians ever learn? Perhaps now we can better understand how such a large country was ruled by a few aliens for centuries. I don’t have anything against Sonia but I’d like to know the basis on which she’s aspiring to become the premier of this country. I also want to ask broad-minded liberals who’re ready to accept her as PM: can they imagine an Indian acquiring such a position in Italy?
B. Kumar, Dumka, Bihar
The article on the banning of the Marathi play Mee Nathuram Godse Bolthoy declares in its title Even Godse Deserves a Voice (August 3). If the cold-blooded killer of the apostle of peace and non-violence deserves a voice, then Dhanu, the assassin of Rajiv Gandhi, too certainly deserves a voice in the name of cultural freedom.
Dr Iniyan Elango, Chennai
Hanging on for Deer Life (Timeout, July 6) made for woefully sad reading. There was a time when the black buck was believed to be a harbinger of rain. There was also a time when herds of deer were found grazing alongside farmers as they tilled the land—a classic example of mutual tolerance and peaceful co-existence.
Unfortunately, the honeymoon is over. In the fast-changing scenario, the black buck now faces a completely bleak future, thanks entirely to poachers. And the fact that the real threat to its charmed existence comes from those very people who once protected it is all the more deplorable and a matter of grave concern.
B.H. Shanmukhappa, Davangere, Karnataka
