We had not forgotten Mihir Sen (Swimming Against the Tide, December 11) though he disappeared from the pages of newspapers and magazines. I would dearly love to hear about the present status of Balaram (Chuni Goswami and P.K. Banerjee are doing pretty well), Arumanayagam, Appalaraju, Ram Bahadur, Jarnail Singh, Arun Ghosh and Thangaraj, who gave us football fans so much fun. While I have named the footballers I would like to know about, I suppose there are many sportspersons the general public would be interested in.
About Sen, he gave us much to be proud of, and still does. But, why do I have this nagging feeling that, as a person, he was just intolerable. Please let me know in what way I could be of help to him.
S. Ravindran, Mumbai
We would like to draw your attention to the article on advertising (On Diwali Sale: Ad Space, November 27). We were pained to read that one of our most esteemed clients, ACC, has been made to look like a defaulter which owes its agency, which is us, Rs 2 crore as dues. The fact of the case is that ACC has never defaulted on payments in its entire relationship with us, and as of now, does not owe us a singe paise. On the contrary, they are the best clients vis-a-vis payments to business associates.
Rajiv Sabnis, Contract Advertising, Mumbai
Our information came from reliable industry sources. We had no intention of maligning ACC and if Contract says there are no dues, we are happy to take their word and regret any embarrassment caused.
Editor
Apropos Cleaning up the Plague City (November 27), there are those who, all through their life, preach what they never agree/wish to do themselves, and there are others who initiate what they wish people to do, for good. S.R. Rao, Surat’s municipal commissioner, is one such person. I wonder why the Government does not felicitate such dedicated government servants. It is to people like Rao that awards like the Bharat Ratna should go.
Vishal Thakur, New Delhi
With reference to Rawle O. King’s interview about opening up the insurance industry to foreign companies (‘We are exerting subtle pressure’, November 20), I think an important question was missed: does the infrastructure needed for new entrants, especially foreign companies, exist in India?
The Indian judicial system is already bursting at the seams. Is it ready for a fresh flood which would arise as foreign insurance companies, especially American ones, have a penchant for litigations?
V. Subbarayan, Karapa, East Godavari
The general views in your article Laloo on a Tricky Wicket (November 20) seemed to have been expressed earlier in a local Patna daily. Laloo Yadav doesn’t have faith in ethics and morals. This man always spells trouble for Bihar. I suggest that President’s rule be imposed in Bihar to save the poor Biharis.
Ajay Kumar Suman, Patna
The mention of Section 278 in your cover story (And Justice for None, December 11), which renders futile attempts by rape victims to get the guilty booked, reminds me of the saddest day in judicial history. On November 15, 1995, the judge acquitted the five men accused of gangraping Bhanwari Devi.First, the court admonished Bhanwari Devi for making her complaint against the rapists so late in the day, neglecting her pleas that administrational lethargy caused the delay. A medical check-up was refused in the absence of the magistrate’s order which could be obtained only after 46 hours. The check-up took place after 52 hours, destroying sensitive medical evidence. As Maulana Azad said: "Next to the battlefields, it is in courts that some of the greatest acts of injustice in the history of the world have taken place."
Simi Ratra, New Delhi
Are you sure that you did not violate any law by publishing the cover story on outdated laws?
Premkumar B., Chennai
Apropos The Indian Choke Trick (November 20), India’s success in the Titan Cup was indeed surprising but not a bolt from the blue. The Indian team is formidable, especially at home. Their morale was low after the disastrous English tour where they lost both the Test series and the one-dayers to the out-of-form England. It seems Madan Lal is a good luck charm. Suddenly, India have everything clicking in their favour—winning the one-off Test against Australia and the one-day games against Australia in a breathtaking manner. The only black spots were the three league matches against South Africa, but India were on top in the match which mattered most. Rahul Dravid is a very good batsman and the wristy Azhar is flexing his wrists again, enchanting millions of Indians.
Tushar Verma, Ranchi
It is generally the rule of the bureaucracy to betray/disown its field staff (Trail of Betrayal, November 20). But these are not the only heroes in such a plight. Most members of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s INA were dismissed from service. Their crime? Fighting for their motherland. Two-thirds of the Emergency commissioned officers were left to fend for themselves—till there was an uproar in Parliament and the Press—after they did their bit to defend the country following the 1962 Chinese aggression.
Thank God, the judiciary is active and will get our heroes their due. Otherwise, our politicians would have had them ‘eliminated’.
N.M. Gauripati Rao, Chennai
This refers to the report Non-Playing Captain (November 13). Sonia Gandhi’s image is being overplayed unduly by the media, print in particular. This may be because she makes for a photogenic news item amidst all the crises that the Congress is facing. One fails to understand how her image, with her foreign background, her total inexperience in present-day politics can be helpful in restoring the party’s image, which has been extensively ruined because of corruption.
It is strange that so-called mature politicians look to the "Sonia camp" for the settlement of party differences. Since she is totally tight-lipped and has not hinted towards joining the CWC, as is being sought by several party leaders, speculations expressed in this regard appear just one-sided.
P. Gautampurkar, Kota
This refers to the report Non-Playing Captain (November 13). Sonia Gandhi’s image is being overplayed unduly by the media, print in particular. This may be because she makes for a photogenic news item amidst all the crises that the Congress is facing. One fails to understand how her image, with her foreign background, her total inexperience in present-day politics can be helpful in restoring the party’s image, which has been extensively ruined because of corruption.
It is strange that so-called mature politicians look to the "Sonia camp" for the settlement of party differences. Since she is totally tight-lipped and has not hinted towards joining the CWC, as is being sought by several party leaders, speculations expressed in this regard appear just one-sided.
P. Gautampurkar, Kota
