Apropos your cover story, Rise & Fall of Mr A (June 26). Do you seriously expect us to believe that Hansie Cronje’s word is the law? Someone in your midst is dying to settle scores at any cost. And your readers have to suffer the torture of this yellow journalism.
S.A. Hussain, on e-mail
I wasn’t surprised at all to see Mr A once again getting the ‘honour’ of featuring on your cover. One doubts if your magazine would have given any credibility to Cronje’s statement had he named anybody else in the Indian team. Even though Mr A’s demanding a thorough investigation, this ‘esteemed’ mag has already pronounced him guilty...
Samir Mahajan, New Delhi
It was sad to see Outlook level a barrage of allegations against Azhar. Cronje himself has now said that Azhar’s dealings with Mukesh Gupta were only a speculation. Magazines like yours help in shaping public opinion, and hence should have a sense of responsibility. Mindless and irresponsible journalism is unwarranted and unbecoming of you.
Sameer Pathak, Wyoming, US
Rise and Fall of Mr A gives the lie to Azharuddin’s boast that match-fixers would be scared to approach him. The Muslim card flashed by Azhar won’t serve as a fig-leaf for his feigned innocence. Whatever heights Azhar has scaled in cricket are due solely to the phenomenon of Indian secularism; he is guilty of heresy.
Tarlok Singh, New Delhi
The box Whatever Happened to our Hyderabadi Lad was in poor taste. Your remark that he married a "failed" Bollywood beauty was low-brow. As was your attempt to portray him as a symbol of all that’s wrong with the ambitions of the lower class as it finds the route to success. Who are you to sit in moral judgement over how opulent or austere a life someone should lead?
Deeptanshu Verma, on e-mail
Azhar’s nonchalant remark that he was targeted as he was from a minority community came as a shock to all his fans who have admired him for his cricketing flair and prowess and least for his ‘Muslimness’. Else, he’d never have got the chance to lead our nation.
Ramesh Ritesh, Chennai
Prabhakar and Mongia claim they were deliberately asked to play slow in the infamous Kanpur one-dayer in 1994 against the West Indies by Azhar. Maybe. But did they not have any sense of their own and could they not have tried to push things out there in the middle rather than managing a princely 16 runs from 43 balls?
Deepak Sapra, Burdwan
Azhar’s playing the minority card is another example of his escapist attitude. If he wanted to silence his critics, he should have turned to the law. Such statements from an icon of his stature not only give an unnecessary communalist twist to the whole issue, but also indirectly raise doubts in the minds of people across the world about the secular credentials of our country.
Susheel Malhotra, Oslo, Norway
It wasn’t shocking to read about the possibility of Azhar being involved in match-fixing. Even if India lost a match in Sharjah, Mr A was rewarded handsomely, whether with a Mercedes or watches. Gone is the time when one played for the country; today self-gratification is the main motto.
Archana Singh, California, US
Isn’t Dr Ali Bacher the man who used to offer money to cricketers to play in South Africa which was banned at that time? Many Australians, including captain Kim Hughes, some Englishmen and cricketers from the West Indies were ‘bought’ over at the c ost of forfeiting the right to play for their country or even to participate in official matches. However, not a single Indian or Pakistani player fell a prey to the lure of his lucre.
Mohammad Amin, Delhi
Azhar made a mark in Test history with three centuries in his first three matches. That was enough for him to figure in then skipper Sunil Gavaskar’s scheme of things. After dropping Kapil from the Calcutta Test, Gavaskar forced Shastri and Azhar to crawl for hours so that the match ended in a draw and his face was saved. Like his mentor, Azhar too played tricks to spoil his colleagues’ careers. Prabhakar, Sidhu, Vengsarkar, Kapil et al suffered. He’s only facing the music now.
C.R. Krishnan, Ghaziabad
We are reading different stories on match-fixing everyday. But somehow we can’t believe the Kapil vs Manoj episode. Do you remember any time the great Prabhakar won a game single-handedly the way Kapil did many times for India?
Anu Lenin, on e-mail
You have hounded Azhar ever since the day he married Sangeeta Bijlani. His match-winning innings are seldom published; what’s highlighted is the matches in which he scored lesser runs (the ones you claim are fixed). You also aver that Azhar got a Mercedes Benz at Sharjah for fixing matches from a Pakistani businessman (ary is an international company, not a Pakistani one) but the truth is that he got that car because he became the highest run-getter in odis. Would you express the same incredulity were Sachin to surpass Azhar’s record and get the same gift from the same man?
Joy Masroor, on e-mail
Your reporters, it seems, don’t know a thing about cricket. Krishna Prasad has an opinion on everything without having any facts at all. Sandipan Deb thinks Kapil Dev hit three consecutive sixers off Eddie Hemmings so he’s entitled to cheat a little. As though Hemmings was some Brett Lee. Murali Krishnan’s stories are all padding up from what has already appeared in the newspapers. Nor has your magazine uttered a word about Ratan Mehta who first surfaced on the scene in Toronto in 1996.
Rahul Chaudhary, on e-mail
Your obsession with cricket and politics continues. You did not care even for a passing mention of Euro 2000.
Manas Das, on e-mail
At last someone has the guts to unmask the ruthless Tamil Tigers (Taming Snow Tigers, June 26). Sorry to say but one day they will become a menace for Canada. Therefore the earlier we get the government to do something about this, the better. Say no to terrorism.
Mick Jackson, Australia
The arguments of Northeast Frontier Railway GM Rajendra Nath for diesel locomotives are toothless (The Little Fire Wagon, June 26). First, it’s grossly unfair to compare the performance of an exhausted stock of octogenarian steam engines with that of the modern diesel. Steam technology has moved on dramatically since the last locomotives were acquired by the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) in 1927. The Indian Railways have invested nothing since it took over DHR in 1947. Their latest decision is a kneejerk response and does not tackle what really ails the railway. But worse, it just endangers the recently-awarded Unesco World Heritage Site status.
Harsh Vardhan, New Delhi
I was shocked to read about the throwaway prices at which goods are being brought in from China (Lock, Stock and Calculator, June 26). Right from a measuretape (Rs 16-20 for Indian vs Rs 5-10 for Chinese) to a calculator (Rs 50-60 for Indian vs Rs 10-35 for Chinese), it’s just incredible. No wonder our ssis are worried. It also makes me wonder that if they can do it, why can’t we?
Amit Loiwal, Baroda
The very fact that an article on the death of Rajesh Pilot could be titled Death of Dissent (June 26) shows that something’s amiss in the 115-year-old Congress party. Pilot was one of the few Congress leaders who openly expressed dissatisfaction with the party’s policies and even contested the presidential election against the existing incumbent. And still he was a leading figure in the party till his death. I hope the Congress leadership will learn to respect dissent within the party since it is the only way to reform it.
V.S. Garg, Moradabad
The river Sindhu was not the bedrock only of Sindhi ethos as was referred to in the story Indus Creed (June 19), but the fountainhead of Indian civilisation. I was also surprised to read that saying Bharat Mata ki jai is communal. Could Outlook give us a break from this anti-Hindu tirade? Instead of constantly criticising Hinduism, you should remember that the Hindu has never ever invaded any other country, persecuted members of another religion or ever converted them forcefully. If only Islam and Christianity were to imbibe these ideals, the world would be a heaven to live in.
Sanjeev Nayyar, Mumbai
Your recent covers which come with a reverse fold do cause some irritation. And I guess they also lack the visibility an advertiser might be looking for.
Umesh Dixit, on e-mail
Daniel Lak’s Bullocks to Them and the story A Feeling for Native Skins were saying the same thing, and it wasn’t about bullocks. Middle-class Indians, in chasing rainbows, have forgotten who and what we are. And so we can worship the cow, but ill-treat our cattle; worship the devi, but beat and burn our wives; proudly wear ethnic weaves abroad and display Indian crafts at beauty pageants, but ignore the artisan. India has an equal place for both the computer and the bullock cart. All we need to do is shed our blinkers.
Jenny Pinto, on e-mail
It’s alarming how Mumbai-style organised crime is threatening to spill into sleepy Nagpur (Reign of the Prima Donna, June 19). I hope it serves as a timely warning to the authorities.
V.R. Sethi, Faridabad
Prem Shankar Jha in his opinion, Dishonouring a Word (June 19), has probably forgotten that the government at the helm is headed by a pro-Hindu nationalist party. A direct anti-LTTE stance could lead to the government being dubbed as anti-Hindu and then anti-Eelam. An anti-Lankan (or) anti-Buddhist stance could again be dubbed anti-Hindu. A pro-Lankan stance also will be anti-Hindu (or) anti-Indian (or) even anti-Tamil. This vicious tangle is probably why the government has chosen not to commit itself firmly.
C. Spen Chengappa, Kodagu
Disunity among the Indian immigrants and lack of political will on the part of our government are responsible for the present crisis in Fiji (Pacific Reactions, June 12). In 1987, Col Rabuka staged a coup and ousted the prime minister who died heartbroken at the apathy of the Indian government which could have dispatched ins Vikrant to restore democracy there. Even now, taking advantage of favourable world opinion, India should send ins Virat instead of mouthing mere platitudes. After all, didn’t Britain send warships to the Falklands in similar circumstances?
K.C. Sagar, Gandhinagar
Kabhai Chauhan has the dubious distinction of being India’s richest police inspector (His Law of the Land, June 12). But there are even more corrupt inspectors in Gujarat. A lot of them have uncountable benami properties as also scores of petrol pumps. Their bosses-the IPS officers-are no less. And since even the anti-corruption bureau is corrupt, all bribery and graft cases are solved ‘mutually’.
Sandeep Singh, Baroda
Swamped by a White Glut (June 5) talks of the steep slide in milk product prices, due to import under WTO. No doubt, there should be restrictions in import, as well as imposition of duty to protect local industry. But, alongside we need to put in place a foolproof marketing system and efficient implementation of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act.
Asim K. Banerjee, New Delhi
I’d thought the media, especially print, was what one could turn to to bring the errant to book. But Anita Pratap (Peephole Pleasures, June 19) showed us otherwise.
Sanjeev Gaswane, on e-mail
Indus Creed unfolds the hidden agenda of the RSS. The Sindhu darshan is the latest addition to the index and glossary of Indian festivals, and is devoid of any historical, cultural or even national significance. It is just another aspect of the yatras, aartis and other religious festivals that are solely backed by the theocratic creed of the RSS. The photographs carried by Outlook signified no folk or cultural input of Ladakh, rather it appeared to be a stage-managed catwalk with the solemn backing of central ministers. As pointed out in the story, the "Sindhu Darshan circus" is nothing but an attempt to add saffron to the colours of Buddhists and Muslims who happen to be the traditional inhabitants of the region.
Mahesh Inder Sharma, Delhi
The photograph captioned ‘Gupta’s property in Delhi’ (If Hansie is Lying..., June 26) was obtained based on information provided by Delhi Police. The police subsequently corrected its information when the Mukesh Gupta in question was identified.
Apropos Fast In, Fast Out (May 22), MNC fast food outlets do huge ad-campaigns and recover all their cost from ad-struck, foreign-brand crazy, neo-rich consumers in particular and casual diners in general. I’ve visited almost all branches of McDonald’s in Delhi and two in Mumbai and have found that their prices are exorbitant. The burger, their main product, should aptly be called a burglar.
Manoj, on e-mail
Only a government which performs can win the mandate of the people and return to power. Who bothers about what party governs so long as Vajpayee is at the Centre, Naidu in AP, Krishna in Karnataka and so on (Velvet Czar to the Fore, June 26). It’s a good trend that people are recognising the genuine work done by the government and not just voting for their loyalty to the party.
T. Krishnadas Rai, Bangalore
I fully endorse the views of VHP vice-president Giriraj Kishore expressed in Hawk Flock (June 26). Conversions are a fact. It’s high time Christian religious authorities took serious note of it and stopped them. Only that would help calm the prevailing communal tensions.
Maya Sharma, Gwalior
Reading Giriraj Kishore’s views, I’m not surprised that the rank and file of the organisations burn, kill, and spew hatred against Christians. Sure, Christians tell people to accept Jesus-is that a crime? So, too, do followers of reiki, yoga, or aromatherapy to try their way. Should all doctors then be shooting, killing, and burning those who practise, preach, and ‘convert’ many to alternative medicine!
Jamila Koshy, on e-mail
The RSS wouldn’t be so foolish as to target Christians in India when their own man is the prime minister. Missionaries are experts in communalising every criminal act against Christians, but a weekly like yours should not fall prey to their diabolic plot. Targeting the RSS is counter-productive as it adds to the numbers of its sympathisers. And that, I’m sure, is not what Outlook would want!
Ramesh Patange, on e-mail
The government’s silence with regard to the hate campaign by some segments of the Sangh parivar is more alarming than the attacks on Christians by some ‘irrational’, ‘fanatic’ demons in the parivar. In a multi-religious society like India, a secular-democratic government should come out in the open in protecting the minorities rather than encouraging or even condoning fanatical acts by keeping silent.
B.C. Madhav, Bangalore
Dr Subbarao suffered as he questioned and antagonised the high and mighty at barc regarding the nuclear submarine propulsion plant (Making a Difference, June 19). Years later, Admiral Bhagwat too questioned the progress (or lack of it) of the nuclear-powered submarine project, and he too got sacked. Extraordinary are the ways of India’s scientists-turned-bureaucrats.'
P.N. Gour, Noida, UP
Col Prasad’s efforts in Sagar are laudable (Making a Difference, June 5). His training methods and motivational skills are unique and effective. I’ve personally witnessed some of his programmes which have made children more effective in communication, highly motivated, socially-skilled and confident.
S.J. Singh, Sagar
