The ‘code of conduct’ imposed by the Italian-made Indian citizen (The Edicts Impossible, September 28) has started a debate centred on the extent to which morality is imposed from outside. With ‘intuitionists’ like Gadgil holding that conscience is innate and ‘empiricists’ like A.K. Ant-ony saying it’s acquired, the Congress may be divided horizontally. But the Congressmen will abide by Sonia the moment she says ‘Rome has spoken, the cause is ended’.
A.S. Raj, Bangalore
The critical observations of the Patna high court on the Bihar government corroborate your account of the state of affairs in Bihar (Suspended Animation, October 5). On July 14, 1997, it observed: "A state of complete anarchy has arisen as neither worker nor officer is willing to work." Again on April 10, 1998, it said: "It appears that the administrative machinery has collapsed totally." Has the situation changed so dramatically in the last five months to convince the President that there’s no breakdown of constitutional machinery?
T.S. Raman, New Delhi
The most unpardonable and foulest ‘murder’ of Indian democracy took place when Laloo dragged the simple, non-political Rabri from her kitchen and put Bihar in her lap to nurse it as their tenth baby. Allowing criminals like Laloo, Sukh Ram and Jayalalitha to roam around at people’s expense is possible only in our kind of mobocracy.
E.P. Menon, Bangalore
As the scamsters and gangsters seem ensconced securely in the seats of power in Bihar, development takes a backseat.
Sheel, New Delhi
I’m one amongst thousands of students studying in Delhi, thanks to the collapsed education system in Bihar. Now that the President has turned down the invocation of Article 356, Bihar’s dejected populace is left with no choice but to face Laloo’s Jungle Raj.
Rajeev, New Delhi
Caligula, the Roman emperor and despot, nominated Institatius, his horse, to the Senate. This horse would stand in the middle of the Senate, defecating. The other senators were so terrified of Caligula that they could say nothing. The denouement came in Caligula being, literally, cut to pieces. The uncanny resemblance of this historic event with Laloo and Rabri extends to the amazing likeness Laloo has with Caligula in the movie of the same name, including the hairstyle.
Ramesh, Bangalore
In the excessive preoccupation with high-profile diseases like AIDS and Alzheimer’s, mental disorders such as schizophrenia are often sidelined. Thank you for bringing it to the fore (Demons in the Mind, September 28). Schizophrenics deserve a better deal. While pharmacotherapy (drug treatment) plays a vital role, psychosocial management is equally important. The role of ‘family’ was very well highlighted in the article. It’s heartening to note that the course and outcome of this illness is much better in developing nations than in the West and one of the reasons cited is that schizophrenics over here have much more social support available.
Deepak Kumar, Chandigarh
Ajay Jadeja, prior to his departure for the Commonwealth Games, is reported to have said—‘We have always played, for a trophy, never a medal’ (Spoiling the Sport, September 28). We got neither. We could only win the toss and allow Amir Sohail to run away with the Trophy. Let us hope our team doesn’t repeat Toronto at the World Cup.
N.M. Thahir, Ambur
The issue, with Kenneth Starr, as with most of America, is not about a relationship between two individuals, but about the sanctity of the law—you can’t lie in the court, even if you are the king of the earth (Yankees! September 28). A society which still lays emphasis on this sanctity, and the laws of which can bring the mightiest to their knees, is certainly functionally better than one like ours, where a powerful man’s mere appearance in court (Narasimha Rao or Laloo Yadav) is considered a big achievement for the judiciary.
Deepak Sapra, Kanpur
Your cover story on America’s manic obsession with its president’s private life resembled an immigrant’s guide to the land of the free. While we can only marvel at the gallons of milk and gas that Uncle Sam consumes and the tonnes of garbage he generates; what we fail to realise in our manic degradation of American culture is that they’ve achieved this level of supremacy with much industriousness. And its illustrious presidents have played a major role in realising the great American Dream, by time and again taking shrewd decisions, whether financial, political or military and leading the world against aggressors in two of the worst wars the world has seen. So why the envy against them?
M. Shahid Abdulla, Srinivasnagar
What was so great that Clinton did in office that we Indians got so excited about? Your cover story No Sex Please, We are Indian (September 21) was quite appropriate in pointing out the psyche of the Indian people, their sense of propriety and the standard for Indian politicians we prescribe. The sex life of politicians may tickle us for some time but it certainly doesn’t excite us.
C.S. Gupta, Jaipur
Having spent time both as a cadet and as an instructor at the National Defence Academy, The Making of Real Heroes (September 14) brought back nostalgic memories. Without being jingoistic, I would say that NDA has its unique place among the best military academies of the world. The training here, arduous and exacting as it is, does turn ‘boys’ into ‘men’ who matter. It’s unfortunate if a distorted film version gives the public a wrong impression about this alma mater of men who’ve made a vital contribution to this country. Kudos to you for giving a balanced view of this great institute, envisioned by the likes of Jawaharlal Nehru. ‘Service Before Self’ is indeed a motto worthy of emulation in any field of life.
J.J. Mathew, Kochi
In response to the gleeful gloating of your correspondents in Yankees! (September 28), I’d like to quote from the Bible—‘How can you remove the mote from your brother’s eye when there is a log in your own?’ Whatever their faults, and they’re myriad, the Americans live in a society where newspaper offices aren’t burned or journalists assaulted for revealing unsavoury facts about public personalities. They may be sex-obsessed, but being able to discuss it openly, they’ve managed to address sensitive issues like child prostitution, crimes against women and sex education. Have we?
The bombing of Sudan was unjustified but the fact remains that America has the power to commit such crimes and go unchallenged. Its bombing of Afghanistan sent an unequivocal message to terrorists and regimes that harbour them—hurting America is counterproductive. We as a nation would be better off adopting their methods and beating them at their own game instead of bleating impotently about American high-handedness or, as in the present instance, crowing delightedly when their occasional lapses are exposed.
Christopher P. Amos, Calcutta
I was extremely pained to read about the harassment of Kim and her two children by her in-laws (Glitterati, October 5). Through your esteemed columns, I would appeal to your readers to raise funds for a Raman Lamba Trust, which among other things, should aim at supporting the widow and her two children.
Dr P.L. Bhatia, New Delhi
It’s a pity you chose Khushwant Singh to review River of Fire by Qurratulain Hyder (September 28). It’s one of the most powerful books I’ve read in recent years and one I’d recommend thoroughly. Singh, who dismissed Hyder’s claim to the Jnanpith award when she won it, has never done a good job of explaining why she’s such a significant writer. Sadly, being fluent in both Urdu and English (and therefore having read the original), he could’ve been in a better position to write a more insightful review. He mistakenly calls the English ‘transcreation’ a ‘translation’, saying it could’ve been "the most powerful historical novel" of India had it not been for some "avoidable minor flaws". I’m not sure there is any great work without minor flaws or that minor flaws prevent a work from being great. Whether the English version creates a similar stir as the Urdu original remains to be seen. But if this paradox-ridden review inspires no one to read the book, it won’t be subjantiwalli but subjantawalla who is to blame.
Shohini Ghosh, New Delhi
Holier Than Thou (September 28) gave a clear view of the divergent stands taken by the VHP and the holy Shankaracharyas on the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya. The matter is subjudice and the judicial verdict should be binding on the VHP. It’s also strange to read that the VHP plans to create a new order of Shankaracharyas in the country. The Shankaracharyas alone are not the heads of Hindu religion. There are other pontiffs like the Jeer of Ahobila Mutt, Vanamamalai Mutt etc, in the South who should also be consulted in matters involving religious faith.
S. Bakthavathsalan, New Delhi
