Great, amazing that you guys managed to do it (How We Bought rdx, Oct 2). I congratulate your reporters, they are really brave. One slip to Nooruddin, and you would have been dead meat. Excellent investigative journalism. What now remains to be seen is whether the law enforcement agencies would respond to the story by taking leads from it and apprehending the perpetrators. Whatever, I hope to see more such articles from Outlook instead of the usual sucking up to the Congress or smearing the bjp.
S. Arvind, Rochester, US
Seems India is seated on a heap of rdx, and disasters are just waiting to happen anywhere, anytime. The apparent nexus between the isi, the Indian politician, police and the terrorists proves nothing else. This situation warrants strengthening of our intelligence network, seeking public participation in detecting suspicious persons and articles. The guilty must be delivered fast and exemplary punishment to dissuade others.
V.K. Tangri, Dehradun
The seriousness of the issue should goad the government to start a task force to deal with smuggling of such dangerous material into India. The entire Indo-Bangla border should be urgently plugged. And the bsf along it thoroughly revamped.
Mukesh, Deedwana, Rajasthan
A very telling story. Revealing in many respects, not the least of which is about the (in)effectiveness of the police who are more interested in pursuing headline-grabbing news like the seizure of porn CDs. Add to it a mixture of right-wing religious fanaticism or left-wing separatist politics—it’s a truly deadly cocktail.
Parthasarathy, Chennai
Islamic terrorism harboured in a Communist-ruled state. Tell me what’s new about it.
Rahul, New Delhi
It isn’t surprising at all that rdx can be procured in a far-off place like Murshidabad. A little more effort and stronger connections, your reporter might have got it in Mumbai itself. Maybe next time you can try to get some missiles or nuclear devices. The corrupt administration would itself arrange for them. Mera Bharat Mahan.
Ujwal Vyas, Pune
A few stray facts to ponder: Murshidabad is the parliamentary constituency of none other than Union defence minister Pranab Mukherjee; we now have the worst Union home minister after Mufti Mohammad Sayeed; 80 per cent of the residents of Murshidabad district couldn’t show any one of the 19 types of national ID cards; the West Bengal chief minister asked the Centre to stop fencing the Indo-Bangla border three months before the last assembly polls; no political party responded to a bsf advisory to shift the trade centres of the huge cartels engaged in illegal cattle trade.
Bankim Chatterjee, Haldia
The irony in the cover photo couldn’t escape my amateur eyes: a peddler holding out rdx on a piece of newspaper with the headline Gandhi Kaun Hai. You go on to give a date and time in the caption. A blatant lie that mocks at the very ideals of the Mahatma. The least you could have done is to mention that it’s a composed picture.
Jharana Jhaveri, New Delhi
A rare, poignant interview from Vikram Seth (‘It took me long to come to terms with myself....’, Oct 2). It was Seth’s relationship with French violinist Philippe Honore that became the kernel for An Equal Music. Honore is thus credited "in an acrostic sonnet on Honore’s name which is the epigraph to An Equal Music," according to a Wikipedia entry on Seth. The book was in fact accompanied by an Honore music CD. Seth mentioned this relationship and discussed his sexuality in a 2005 radio interview and a little earlier in a TV programme where his sister Aradhana interviewed him. There have been other famous Indians who are/were gay, but their sexuality is never discussed in public. The most obvious example is of the late Ismail Merchant, who lived with his muse, James Ivory. Back in Bollywood, even as Page 3 is faithfully tracking the break-ups and hook-ups of stars in that firmament, we have yet to read about the love life of a maker of coffee-table films who is gay.
Shivam Vij, Delhi
It’s commendable of Seth to have lent his name and led the fight against an archaic Victorian law foisted on the country by alien rulers. Historically, Indians have been far more tolerant of same-sex liaisons than their Western counterparts. With Biblical stories like Sodom and Gomorrah, and numerous other godly threats deeply ingrained in their psyche, it’s only in the last 30 or 40 years that Western democracies have broken free of scriptural tyranny and come to terms with reality. As far as I know, Indians were never threatened by their gods of serious bodily harm for following their instincts. It’s ironic then that the country that gave us the infamous section 377 has overcome its misgivings in its homeland but its erstwhile "jewel in the crown" continues the horrid legacy to this day!
Amit Sinha, Pittsboro, US
Moving interview. Left me drained, and feeling empty.
P. Kalamurthi, Mumbai
Seth seems to have spoken up against Sec 377 only because he stands to be affected by it. I’ve never heard him speak out for anything else before.
RV, Minneapolis, US
It’s not just a question of repealing Sec 377 but also about initiating an honest discussion on the issue.
S. Mala, Mumbai
I’m sure there are many more such archaic and irrational laws. Let’s pull them out too.
V.J.S., Bangalore
Great that Bodhi’s Third Avatar (Oct 2) has been found. But how long before the Taliban destroy it?
B. Chatterjee, on e-mail
Perhaps it’s time Dr Manmohan Singh himself took charge of the education portfolio given the critical importance it has assumed (The Gender Row: School As Ghetto, Oct 2). Education should be relocated in the central or concurrent list and state governments should not be allowed run amok on educational policies. Instead, a national education council with education ministers of all states as members, and chaired by the PM, should take all policy decisions, which should then be enforced uniformly across the country.
V. Seshadri, Chennai
All the cases of rapes of girl students by their male teachers are quite distressing. They perhaps explain the low sex ratios in Punjab and Haryana and parental reluctance to opt for a girl child. Who would want a daughter when you have to forever worry about whether she’ll be safe for the next 40 years from the sexually repressed maniacs of the society; safe in her school/ neighbourhood; safe with relatives and friends; safe while travelling in public transport; safe at her in-laws and so on?
Manoj Vashist, Lagos
Apropos of Feast Under the Shanghai Moon (Sep 25), Indians beat the whole world in one industry: boasting.
Anil Narlikar, Pune
I greatly admire John Lewis (‘Sick of war, young Americans are drawn to Gandhi’, Oct 2). He has a speech defect that was a result of being violently beaten about the head by racist cops while he was on a peace march. He remains an advocate of non-violence because he, Martin Luther King Jr and others managed to change the mightiest nation on earth. Among Americans with a conscience, King and Gandhi have won over Malcolm X, whose followers often turn up ragged and murderous in Afghan caves. I always tell people worried about Indic religions being numerically overwhelmed: ‘No, they’re not dying.’ On the contrary, their best principles and practices are turning up among good people worldwide. These ideas humanised juggernaut Islam in Persia—another case of a mighty enemy being overcome from within. Again, there are Buddhist meditation centres in Turkey, Bahrain, Iran, Oman and uae.
Sundari, Chennai
Yakub Memon paid Rs 22 lakh to his brother who used it to kill some 250 people. Then he went with him and returned sometime later for reasons best known to him. Does Prem Shankar Jha (Revenge Served As Justice) seriously expect us to believe Yakub didn’t know what the money was for? Can a person commit murder and then claim innocence because he ‘surrendered’? A judge has to go by the evidence before him, not by the perceived intentions of the accused. Having been privy to one of the most heinous crimes, let the Memons face the legal consequences of their actions like any other criminal. Let us reserve our tears for those who languish in jails for far lesser crimes than the Bombay blasts.
Shyam Prasad, Bangalore
Had it been anyone else, his underworld connections and handling of unlicensed guns would’ve been enough to send him for a long imprisonment. But since the accused is an actor (History Sheet, Oct 2) who’s made us laugh on screen, the country seems to be forgiving. So much for India being a mature society.
Rohit C.J., Kochi
Dutt may have endeared himself to us as Munnabhai but that doesn’t mean he should not be tried for his crimes.
Shiv Sawhney, Connecticut
An expected article from a compulsive defender of anti-national elements.
Ankush Poddar, Calcutta
In the article Tagore’s Ruined Garden (Sep 25), you say Visva-Bharati "is a victim of constant political interference by the ruling cpi(m) on a range of matters". This charge is quite baseless. Despite its "interference" in other institutions of higher education in West Bengal, the cpi(m) or its allies have never interfered with the running of Visva-Bharati. Such interference has long been the unchallenged monopoly of the Congress and its various avatars, both at the central and state levels, possibly because Visva-Bharati is a central university (a fact not highlighted in the piece). Patha Bhavan is called "a campus school affiliated to Visva-Bharati". It is rather more than that. It forms the very nucleus and seed from which Visva-Bharati sprang into existence. Mahasweta Devi is called a "Santiniketan resident". Although she had studied at Visva-Bharati, she has never been a long-term resident. Supriyo Thakur (who, incidentally, spells his name "Tagore" in English) is not "Tagore’s descendant".
Samantak Das, on e-mail
In a blurb to the above article, you say, ‘’Under Somnath Chatterjee, even Tagore’s favourite haunts were given over to real estate sharks". But nothing in the story bears this out. It seems the pages of your esteemed magazine have been utilised by some vested interests who do not want the planned development of the Bolpur and Santiniketan areas being undertaken by the Sriniketan Santiniketan Development Authority or ssda and have therefore made these baseless allegations against Somnath Chatterjee.
A.K. Das, Birbhum, W. Bengal
Outlook replies: Santiniketan’s crumbling state and protests against commercialisation are a well-documented fact.
Your article on software patents (He’s Got an Idea, Oct 2) misses several points. The issue of software patenting in India is not as critical as establishing a vibrant ipr in India for the continued success of the IT outsourcing story. If India has to morph into a strong innovation-centric position, developing a strong IP culture is clearly necessary. In a few years, our current advantage of cost-arbitrage, knowledge of English and strong software processes will be neutralised by many countries. To hang on to our shirt, we must focus on building strong intellectual capital in India.
Vijay Kumar, on e-mail
Jyoti Basu’s reaction to his protege visiting a Kali temple is typical of cpi(m) hypocrisy (God Save the Party, Oct 2). Basu didn’t seem to have a problem with H.K.S. Surjeet, who never hid his Sikh identity. He never objected to the many Muslim members of the cpi(m) attending to the namaaz. He himself went to a gurudwara with head covered. Why should he object to Hindu members visiting temples? Moreover his question on Durga—"does she exist"—is unwarranted. Let him ask Muslims the same question about Allah in the open, I’d be the first to salute his rationality.
Dr D.S.S. Rao, Vijayawada
I’ve just read Daniel Lak’s review of my book, In Spite of the Gods, The Strange Rise of Modern India (Oct 2). As retaliation goes, it was relatively gentlemanly, so I’m not writing to complain about Lak’s candid admission that he was taking "revenge" for my having critically reviewed his book last year. But, for the record, I’d like to make two corrections to his account of my book. First, he interprets my subtitle—The Strange Rise of Modern India—to mean that India’s rise is unexpected or illogical. "Luce," he writes, "never really convinces us that it is somehow logical or rational that India should not prosper or succeed." The reason I didn’t convince anyone is because I didn’t seek to. As I explain in the book’s introduction, the word "strange" in the subtitle refers to the sequence of India’s development rather than the fact that it is happening. Second, Lak says I incorrectly wrote that India conducted three nuclear tests in May ’98 when actually there were six. In fact, India conducted five tests, which is what I said in the book. I’m not sure where Lak picked up on the three tests. He was, however, correct to point out that Jharkhand does not border Nepal which, I agree, was a basic mistake. Finally, Lak offers me the prospect of taking my "sweet revenge" as a reviewer of his next book. All I can say is if I did review it, I’d hope—as with any other book—to judge it on its merits.
Ed Luce, on e-mail
I don’t understand Vinod Mehta’s logic in advocating friendship with Pakistan despite the blasts in Mumbai and Malegaon (Delhi Diary, Oct 2). After all, even Lord Krishna advocated war in self-defence.
George James, Mumbai
"For whatever it is worth, talking to Germany and inviting the Fuhrer’s cooperation is probably the best way to tackle the second world war." Can anyone imagine Churchill saying this? Vinod Mehta is no Churchill, but then if talking to Musharraf would have solved problems, it should have been done the day he was "elected" in a coup.
Raj Shah, New Jersey, US
You can criticise Vinod Mehta for having lost his marbles. But at least the magazine allows us to air our opinions freely. How many publications do that? Outlook freely takes on the Establishment, whether of the Congress or bjp. That’s the cry of any democracy: be not the yesman of any party.
Alhad Sathe, on e-mail
It never ceases to amaze me how apologists and appeasers never cringe or lessen their rhetoric despite endless acts of terrorism against the citizenry. The fact that this might dangerously affect India’s national interests never seems to make a difference to them since their own individual pursuits and self-aggrandised moral stance on social issues is more important to them than national security.
S. Bhagavatula, Hyderabad
Vinod Mehta better watch out. Some candlewallahs may beat him at his own game and offer a smarter suggestion for lasting peace with Pakistan. That is, accept Mushy (or anyone else who may oust him and come to power) as our ruler and be an appendage to (the Islamic Republic of) Pakistan. This may be better than having to live with jehadi terrorism as one of the cherished privileges of Indian citizenship.
K.V. Jayan, Chennai
The moral of your Robert Maxwell story should be: Don’t pay attention to freaks like Maxwell. Sex has done this world more good than any newspaper baron.
Dr Aminuddin Khan, on e-mail
