The criticism against England captain Nasser Hussain (Nasser’s No Ball, June 11) for his call to Asians to support England is unjust and senseless minorityism. Asian Muslims living in the west have no love for the land they’re living in. These cultural supremacists enjoy all the freedom and benefits from the society they love to hate. Why does Outlook publish such ‘liberal votebank’ articles?
Naveen Krishna, Mumbai
Why did Vajpayee have to go to Mumbai for his knee operation? Doesn’t New Delhi have the facilities necessary for such an operation? Was it necessary to schedule it at the Breach Candy Hospital, considering that Dr Ranawat was to fly down from the US in any case? Was it necessary to refurbish the hospital at remendous cost, incur more expenses and hassles in shifting the official machinery to Mumbai for two weeks? Is fiscal tightening only for the exchequer and not for the powers that be?
Prakash R. Iyer, on e-mail
It’s disappointing to see the lengths some Indians will go to, to bid for and actually buy at such inflated prices, a pair of shades, a clapboard or a dress just because it was worn by a filmstar some time (Going, Going, Gone, June 11).
Tanmay Chaturvedi, Pune
"Seeing is believing," they say. On seeing the contribution of the India Childcare Foundation (Making a Difference, June 11), only one thought snakes through my mind: "What a piece of work is man! How infinite in faculties! In form and moving, how express and admirable! In action, how like an angel! In apprehension, how like a god!"
Mohorsii Kashyap, Guwahati
Mother Teresa is a saint—almost all of us would agree on this (St Teresa of Kolkata?, June 11). However, there’s one thing I’d have liked to ask her if she was still alive and that is—why she should have given Calcutta the epithet of a "city of the poorest of the poor". Definitely, my city is worth more than just that!
Anusheela Saha, Calcutta
It’s sad that the Indian bureaucracy continues to live in the Raj regime when it considered the British rulers as masters (A Word to the Sheriff’s Deputy, June 11). The babudom should now realise that the masses are their new masters. Not only the police, all arms of administration should be accountable for their actions and not be allowed to take recourse to archaic laws. In fact, the punishment meted out to them should be harsher than that dealt to the ignorant masses as the former are trained to understand the law.
Vivek Kumar, on e-mail
I read your cover story Death and Rebirth of Vishnu (June 18). As a shocked Nepali I was pleasantly surprised to read something good about our king in an Indian publication. King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev is a mature and shrewd man. He is the right man to be king at this moment. His biggest problem is his son, Prince Paras. Anyone who believes our king and his son is involved should have his head examined. Our king is dead, long live our king.
Santosh Pandey, Chicago
In the midst of the very tragic events in Nepal, a stray thought has occurred to me. This has to do with the impact this act will have on Indian politics. The essentially peace-loving nature of Hindus has been a constant obsession with our steady line of proponents of Hindutva. These guys must be living a nightmare right now. How will they ever reconcile the theoretically peace-loving Hindus with this crass reality that has overtaken Nepal?
Partho Datta, on e-mail
The bjp is not the only "faulty party surviving by default", (A Clone’s Slow Death, June 11), it has become "the party with no difference", "the untouchable party" and "the indifferent party", in the wake of the Tehelka exposé, the recent assembly elections and the Manipur conundrum respectively. Speaking of which, the latest joke doing the rounds is: "Manipur mein kya jam hai?" asks one wag. "Manipur mein Koijam nahin?," replies the other.
K.P. Rajan, on e-mail
Anita Pratap’s Impressions seem to resemble a Congress manifesto. Who knows, maybe she could be made to fill in the shoes of Mani Shankar Aiyer or Ambika Soni in the near future.
Ritesh Ramesh, Chicago
Outlook’s Framework for Peace (June 11) is like beheading someone who has brain tumour rather than finding a cure. By doing so India will virtually accept defeat at the hands of Pakistan. Why did we fight over Kashmir for over five decades if it had to come to this? Why this colossal waste of resources, material and human?
Rananjay Anand, Patna
Diplomacy is an art of rectifying past blunders. When Maharaja Harisingh signed the Instrument of Accession, there was no PoK or Azad Kashmir. It came about because of the blunders of people like Nehru. Now we just can’t ignore a major part of Kashmir because of these past oversights. Let’s see how our diplomats fare in this upcoming battle in the boardroom.
Abhijit A. Kulkarni, on e-mail
Except perhaps Israel and Kashmir, all major international issues have been resolved. And if Vajpayee and Musharraf reach a joint decision with the approval of the Kashmiri people, they’ll lay the foundation of an era of peace for both countries. Both leaders then will rightly deserve the Nobel peace prize.
Aboobakar Thwahir, Mumbai
Kashmir is the wrestling mat on which India and Pakistan have been fighting for over 50 years with scant regard to what Kashmiris think about it all.
Dev Kumar Vasudevan, on e-mail
If Nawaz Sharif lost credibility for playing the traditional Lahori host, what’s so different and confidence-inspiring about the Butcher of Kargil that we should repose any trust in him? I can’t help but see a sinister US lurking behind each and every step New Delhi takes towards ‘solving’ the Kashmir problem. In their hearts and minds, our weak-kneed government has already given Kashmir away at the cost of thousands of brave, innocent lives, frittered away on petty political considerations, without remorse too.
Vivek Khanna, Panchkula
Yes, I have a better solution. Trifurcate Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir, make the latter an independent country under the jklf and other secular forces. Station Indian troops there permanently to guarantee the security of Pandits, who must return to their properties.
Biswapriya Purkayastha, on e-mail
If you ask me, Jammu should be given statehood, Ladakh union territory status, a union territory should also be carved out in the Valley for Kashmiri Pandits and the rest of the state should be restored to the pre-’53 status. Its border with PoK should be made a soft one to facilitate a free trade zone.
Mahikshit Desai, on e-mail
Not one ruling regime in Pakistan has had the courage to fall out of the stereotype of anti-India propaganda and sow the seeds of peace. All that can be done at this summit is the charting of a non-attack agreement. Kashmir can’t be part of that agreement.
M.R. Navindutt, Mumbai
The fear of being marginalised in j&k has forced the Hurriyat offer to submit itself to an electoral test. It’s only a matter of time before the rag-tag collection is torn asunder due to political compulsions.
Karan Sharma, New Delhi
It’s nice to note Outlook finally trying to offer solutions rather than just rattling against anything that the Vajpayee government does!
Shyam Mukundan, on e-mail
Your framework for peace seems somewhat ambitious. Since PoK would never come under our control in the near or distant future, can it be a bargaining chip to get peace?
S. Datta, on e-mail
A soft border between PoK and j&k would effectively mean a ‘soft’ border between Pakistan and India. If we have death awaiting our jawans on a border with friendly Sonar Bangla, what can we expect to emerge out of a soft border with our traditional rival?
Cdr C.D. Pereira, Mangalore
It’s time India and Pakistan flushed out their mental fixation with Kashmir and realised that Kashmir, with its unique, chivalrous culture, belongs only to the Kashmiris.
Zariani Abdul Rehman, Malaysia
Though your attempt to find a solution is commendable, the analysis is flawed. Pakistan’s apex court has ruled that Azad Kashmir is not a part of Pakistan. The Indian Parliament too has declared all of Kashmir an integral part of India. Then how can we accept your solution? If you’re conceding Kashmir now, forget about reclaiming the portion captured by China. Incidentally, can you ever think of proposing such a solution to China apropos Tibet or Taiwan? Never.
Rajiv Sharma, IIT, Kharagpur
Freezing the LoC apart, India should indulge in some proactive strategisation as well. Thus the US should be allowed to monitor ‘jehadi’ terrorism in Kashmir and India should seek democracy for Pakistan.
Rajeev Pant, Ahmedabad
Your cover story is the perfect recipe to make Kashmir an Islamic state. The measures you suggest are more than enough to change Jammu’s demography, making it a Muslim majority area. Thus the suggestion that Kashmiri Hindus be enabled to return is meaningless. And with India retaining defence et al, it will fund this Islamisation. What more can Musharraf ask for? Didn’t he tell terrorist outfits there was no point in waging war if you could get all you wanted on the negotiating table.
Ram Gopal, New Delhi
Both India and Pakistan should begin the summit on the following realisation—that hostilities between the two countries have only benefited the merchants of death the world over.
Prof E.P. Menon, Bangalore
It’s not politics the common Kashmiri is concerned about; it’s his right to choice. Here is a golden chance for our government to win their confidence rather than letting them go.
Z.J. Siddiqui, Allahabad
Khushwant Singh is a past master at cooking up details. He once conjured a Prof Bernard Silverman of Michigan to comment on astrology. Only the university, when contacted, said there was no such professor either with them or in the Directory of Psychologists of usa. His writing (Blue Hawaii Yoghurt, May 28) about R.K. Narayan is an insult to that great writer who, unlike him, was simple and straightforward.
Gayatri Devi Vasudev, on e-mail
I can’t understand why Khushwant Singh has attracted so much venom (Letters, June 11). All he has done is to present the lighter side of R.K. Narayan and it’s in this vein that his piece should be read.
Bhaskar Sen, on e-mail
Talking of Bellary’s neglect (Random Notes, Polscape, May 21), the whole of India knows of its existence except for our two great leaders—Sonia Gandhi and Sushma Swaraj. Both of them promised the moon for the district. Yet the water problem remains unresolved, the roads continue to be pathetic. Just go around the district and you’ll know better. And the worst is if Sonia can’t do much for her own constituency, what will she do for India?
Rajjevi Nemakal, on e-mail
Dear Mr Mehta, you seem to be under the misconception that both the post of president and the vice-president are vacant (The Vice Crackers, June 11). With Dr Ranawat successfully operating on the PM, one post certainly isn’t.
Bharat Pandya, on e-mail
