The Indian Censor Board’s attitude in not passing Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan is disgusting ( Killing Private Ryan , March 1). How can one avoid blood and gore in a realistic war movie? And shorn of its poignant moments, what would be left of the movie? The censor board is becoming a nuisance by getting into needless controversies. Because of its antics, Indians will be deprived of good and meaningful cinema.
Ambarien Qadr & Kavita, New Delhi
For most of us Calcuttans, your well-researched report regarding the unfortunate spectacle at Eden Gardens (Blood, Sweat and Bisleri at Golgotha, March 1) was nothing astounding. I feel the unruly behaviour of the mob had little to do with the incompetence of the Indian team, it was more a golden opportunity for innumerable Calcuttans to vent their economic frustrations and helplessness. Twenty years of Marxist rule haven’t given much to Bengal except malicious trade unions, inefficiency and unemployment.
Debranjan Dutta, Calcutta
After reading newsreports about alleged ball-tampering by Pakistani seamers, I do remember TV cameras catching Shoaib Akhtar in the act. In India’s second innings when they were 200-odd, six wickets down, Akhtar was about to start his run-up when the camera for 3-4 seconds focused on his left hand—three fingers covered the ball while the thumb, hooked on the underside seemingly wriggled away, working hard on the ball. I was shocked, more so at the silence of the cricketers in the commentator’s box. I’m writing to you because Outlook has the ability to reach out for the truth, as in its fantastic article on bribery allegations. It’s amazing how ICC has allowed the accused to continue playing the gentleman’s game.
Leslie T. Isaac, Mumbai
Congratulations Outlook, and Aniruddha Bahal in particular, for being the first to reveal the damning evidence against Pak cricketers (Bets, Lies, Deceit..., February 22) If the PCB still doesn’t take drastic action, it will be doing a grave injustice to the game of cricket, and millions of people for whom cricket is more than a game.
Aniruddha Malik, Indore
Rarely have I felt such outrage as I did after I read the antics of Akram and company. For a nation obsessed with cricket, these revelations are a blatant mockery of all the qualities that sports in general and an Indo-Pak encounter in particular, signify. I feel cheated. All the days when thousands like me have abandoned work, food and sleep to watch cricket have been laid waste. The verdict is unequivocal: the Pakistanis have to pay. And it should be so hefty a price that no sportsman ever dares to think that he’s above the sport. Memories of India thrashing Pakistan in the World Cup quarter-final in 1996 now seem so empty. ICC, PCB, somebody, please punish the culprits and restore people’s faith in cricket.
Karthik Shankar, on e-mail
I’m afraid your decision to print details of the depositions made in the Pakistani match-fixing inquiry just prior to the Calcutta Test represents poor taste and judgement. You could easily have waited until the current Asian championships were over. It’s not too much to ask the editors to work towards the highest principles the human mind is capable of.
B.K. Mukherjee, Ontario
I saw with great emotion the making of history as the PM with his entourage crossed over into Pakistan (The Peace Ride, March 1). While there are hardliners amongst both Indians and Pakistanis who’d prefer to work under confrontation, there are an equal number on both sides who want a civilised relationship between our countries to ensure a better deal for future generations. If Israel and Palestine can come to an understanding, why can’t we? Hopefully, that will happen in the lifetime of the ’40s generation, to which I belong. If our two countries could cooperate for mutual benefit, then no embargo or sanction, by any mighty nation, would have any deleterious effect. Let’s put the irritants on the back-burner and set our sights on economic growth and progress.
R. Rajagopalakrishna, Mumbai
I was totally appalled to see the picture on page 23 which shows some men holding the Pakistani and Indian flags—the Indian tricolour is being carried upside down, green, white and saffron instead of saffron, white and green. How could you carry a picture which insults our national flag? Do your editors not know which side goes up in their national flag? A matter of shame indeed and one that demands an instant apology.
Amit Agrawal, New Delhi
Reading your cover story, I was surprised to see you underplay the killing of 20 Kashmiri Pan-dits. The death of one Australian missionary has him on your cover, accompanied by overwhelming concern for the safety of minorities. But the regular mowing down of Hindus in Kashmir is either ignored or underplayed by the English media. To cite another example, the VHP-organised dha-rma sansad was covered extensively while Asia’s largest Christian gathering in Kerala was summarily ignored. Why is the media concerned only with the Hindi heartland? An all-India coverage would only make its reporting more far-reaching and balanced.
Sanjeev Nayyar, Mumbai
Our PM needs to be congratulated on his bold initiative. One could feel emotions building up as the PM left Amritsar. I was born after the Partition but could well understand the sentiments of those who’ve been born on the other side of Wagah and those who still have relatives on the other side of the fence.
Mareshi, on e-mail
The PM visited Lahore only on Saturday, February 20 and you had a detailed cover story on the stands by February 22. Incredible.
P. Srinivasan, Mumbai
I don’t condone the acts of the Ranvir Sena or other forward caste groups, but I do think the path to equality isn’t through reverse discrimination (Dregs of War, February 22). Whatever the backward class does isn’t justifiable solely as response to their earlier suppression by the forward class. Having submitted to all social and welfare reforms of the government, doesn’t the so-called forward class have the right to a peaceful life? When the government fails to protect our constitutional rights, we’ve no alternative but to regroup under a common umbrella, which is sometimes as militant as the Ranvir Sena.
Dinesh K. Jog, Bangalore
Contrary to your assertion that 54 Bhumihar landlords were killed by MCC in the Dalelchak-Bagholia village of Aurangabad, it was Rajput landlords not Bhu-mihar ones who were killed.
Satish Singh, Patna
Prem Shankar Jha addresses a current concern when he asks "are we Indians too critical of ourselves?" (The Half-full Approach, February 22). This self-criticism has its roots in the frustration Indians feel towards their country for not having realised its enormous potential thanks to corruption. It’s similar to the frustration felt when Tendulkar is dismissed for a low score.
R. Suresh, Mumbai
In his appraisal of Gen K. Sundarji, Lt Gen Satish Nambiar says the army chief "hung up his spurs in a rather less glorious manner than he would have liked to" (His Many Frontlines, February 22). No doubt Gen. Sundarji led Operation Bluestar, but on the eve of laying down his office, he had said: "Persons come to occupy this chair riding astride a haathi. While leaving, they’re sent back on a gadha." Such was his humility. Circumstances make a man. Or, a soldier.
N. Krishnamurthy, Chennai
I was disheartened to learn that a sincere artiste like Kavita Krishnamurthy had received extortion threats (Glitterati, February 15). Kavita has struggled against several odds to be what she is. She has never compromised on her professional and personal principles. Is she being threatened only because she’s financially on the top now? It’s the ethical downfall of a society when in a democracy like India, the right to extort begins to coexist with the right to earn.
Anil Ramachandra Torne, Pune
It’s true that the recent attacks on Christians have been provoked by the unreasonable activities of breakaway Christian groups (The Zealots Who Would Inherit, February 22). Numbers is what matters most to them, and in that quest, they can even convert Christians belonging to other sects. But the saffron brigade doesn’t see these divisions and targets all Christians.
Mathew Kunnel, Bastar, MP
That L.K. Advani could so emphatically state that the Bajrang Dal wasn’t involved in the Staines murder means he knew who actually was (Mob Rule, February 8). But can one believe him? Didn’t he deny any complicity in the destruction of the Babri Masjid? By making him home minister, Vajpayee showed shocking lack of judgement. Can a paedophile ever be in charge of kindergarten?
Percy Aaron, on e-mail
The sword of Damocles has been hanging over Salman Rushdie since the day he did the blasphemous deed (Saving Private Rushdie, February 8). His proposed visit to India could put doubt over his safety and the credibility of Indian security covers provided to VIPs. Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were assassinated amidst heavy security, proving how vulnerable and open such dignitaries are to death threats. Rushdie can save himself by making peace and seeking pardon from the community whose religious sentiments he has hurt.
Vikram Singh Rohella, New Delhi
Apropos the Route to Suicide (February 1), while the Mumbai immigration has placed restrictions on Sri Lankan merchant seamen going out of the Mumbai harbour stating that they could be LTTE terrorists, India’s defence minister is openly assisting the LTTE by giving a free hand to use India’s Northeast sea-lanes to traffic arms, ammunition and drugs. Who’s fooling whom!
A Lankan Seaman, Colombo
Arre yaar, this is too much. Is Outlook becoming a cricket mag or what? Leave alone the past. The cover stories of December 21, January 25, February 15 and February 22 were all on cricket and cricketers. When there’s no cricket, it’s the Sangh parivar or Uncle George who steal the show. Your international desk seems to take a direct flight to Pakistan.
I have been a regular follower of your magazine ever since it was launched. I like most of its stuff except the hasty conclusions drawn by a few armchair journalists. Isn’t it time Outlook started working on its content, maybe through a readership survey.
Please don’t discourage this brand new subscriber, who wants his reading of the most exciting weekly newsmagazine to be truly exciting.
Jobins Chirackel, Marthandam, TN
It took Vinod Mehta one page to tell us he had Nothing to Say, (February 1). But it’s an improvement on Arundhati Roy who took 10 pages to tell us the same thing!
G. Pai, Chennai
I was amazed to learn pilots in India take home a salary of Rs 2.5 lakh after taxes. And now we have ATCs demanding pay parity with pilots. When millions of Indians are struggling for one square meal a day and putting in hours of back-breaking work in the unorganised sector for a pittance, such a demand can only be termed atrocious. In a rare display of courage, the BJP government has taken the correct step of sacking errant ATCs. This should be a lesson to all public servants who think they can hold the hapless Indian public to ransom.
J. Hareesh, Houston
