Weak front"The UF Government fell not because of any hidden hand but due to the infirmities of its own leaders who could not stand on their own feet."C.B. Dyuthikar, Bangalore Over the Edge Even sycophancy has its limits, but the Congress obviously believes in overstepping boundaries ("Dynastic Backlash", December 1). By pressuring Sonia Gandhi to enter politics, the party is only exposing its inadequacies. Blowing the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case out of proportion was only a ruse to pull down the United Front Government. It is indeed a pity that an organisation which once stood for sacrifice and selfless service has now become a sanctuary for notorious, self-serving leaders who have no policy, programme or principles.A. Seshagiri Rao, ChennaiOne has to read between the lines to get at the real motives of the Congress in crying hoarse over the Jain Commission's interim findings. It is obvious that the party would like to be in power and keep things under its own control when the commission submits its final report, which it fears will be damaging to its credibility. If the Congress is seriously interested in finding the "hand" that killed the former prime minister, it need not look further: all it has to do is hold a mirror in front of itself.T.R. Ramaswami, MumbaiThe Real Victims Your article on India's role in Sri Lanka should leave no doubt in the minds of readers about the misadventure of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) and how its dark shadow is still hounding our nation ("Supping with the Enemy", December 1). While politicians are passing the buck and engaging themselves in mud-slinging, no one seems to be sparing a thought for the real he-roes-the IPKF soldiers who gave up their lives. It can't be denied that India's armed forces were literally pushed into a storm on the orders of the powers that be. It is amazing how politicians and intelligence agencies like the Research and Analysis Wing hobnobbed with the very people that the IPKF was fighting. Today, a feeling of hysteria seems to have gripped the country because it involved the assassination of a former prime minister. What about the huge number of soldiers who never made it back home?LT COL (RETD) M.M. Walia, MumbaiRevealing Line Is Mani Shankar Aiyar's Comment that Chidambaram's latest avatar as a columnist is the fate of a failed politician, an oblique reference to himself ("Perfidious Tamilians", December 1)? He needs to think twice before making such statements. Harpreet Singh, Delhi "Apart from the many ills of liberalisation in India, one has to now contend with the fact that doing well on the social circuit is the surest way up the corporate ladder."Bhimsain Makhija, GurgaonTake Firm Action .preferred-source-banner{ margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}So long as there are shortsighted policies like the offering of jobs to sportsmen, even those who are not that talented will resort to taking drugs ("Running on Drugs", December 1). Athletics is not the only sport where drugs are taken. Chess, snooker, billiards and motor sports are no exception. The relaxation of the life-long ban on such sportsmen to just two years has only worsened the situation. As there are always ways to beat the system, the Sports Authority of India should make periodic blood tests mandatory and take other steps to ensure that performance-enhancing drugs have no place in Indian sports.Sunil Abraham, Director, Sure Athletic Movement, BangaloreWho's to Blame? Implicating the school for the bus accident at Wazirabad in Delhi was not justified ("Tragedy Waiting to Happen", December 1). One of the complaints was that the bus was overcrowded. Does it mean that the tragedy would not have occurred if the bus was carrying less than 80 children? Also, how is the school responsible for the mound of sand on the bridge, which is being cited as the main reason for the skidding of the bus? It is unfortunate that no matter what happens, school principals become the scapegoats.O.P. Nautiyal,DelhiTragedies such as the one at Wazirabad are the order of the day in Karnataka. But they rarely make it to the headlines, possibly due to the fact that they occur with such regularity in the state and that the number of victims is generally less. With key areas like education being increasingly privatised, the Government must take steps to ensure that the various services on offer are effectively regulated by a properly constituted authority. Or else, tragedies like the one last month at Wazirabad will be repeated.Muralidhar Rao, BangaloreIrrelevant Agitation The pointless agitation by some Sikh organisations against the compulsory use of helmets by Sikh women pillion riders is ridiculous ("Head Strong", December 1). Human life is precious. Endangering it in the name of religion is not acceptable.A.K. Sharma, ChandigarhBihar Bashing The indictment of Bihar on the basis of an ORG-MARG opinion poll is misleading ("India's Sleaze Sheet", November 24). The poll was conducted in 16 state capitals covering 1,743 respondents. On an average, this comes to 109 per state. Bihar's population is approximately nine crore, out of which the state capital Patna accounts for 90 lakh. Is 109 an adequate sample to make an inference? In fact, the entire survey is unscientific and has been conducted with an urban mindset.C.K. Anil, PatnaBlame the Parents It is society that encourages the flaunting of expensive and bohemian lifestyles ("Disturbed Generation", November 24). What the previous generation could achieve after a lifetime of dedication and sacrifice, the present one wants to attain overnight. Obviously, in this mad race for fame, money and success, only a few will succeed. For the rest, it is a free fall to anger and frustration. Only parents who inculcate values of hard work, loyalty and caring in children can help them become responsible adults.Ashok Gupta,Delhi"Why is Capart blacklisting non-governmental organisations when its own officials are responsible for the mess they are in today?"Narendra Rautela, Ranikhet We've been called disturbed, confused, depressed-but has anyone ever bothered to find out why our hearts are heavy? What does one do when the beliefs that we have grown up with are shaken, the ethics that we have grown up with are ridiculed? We have often been told of the wealth of human values in this country, but today when we are ready to implement those values, we discover ugly truths rocking our very foundation. We have been told, for instance, to despise terrorism sponsored by Pakistan in Kashmir, but how do we console ourselves when we realise that our country did the very same thing in Sri Lanka?Kakoli Das,GuwahatiUpper Hand The main reason why China attacked India in 1962 was because it wanted to neutralise the subcontinent's role in the world ("South Block", November 17). Up to the late '50s, China was a close ally of the Soviet Union and possessed state-of-the art defence technology. In contrast, the Indian Army was small and ill-equipped with much of the force pitted against Pakistan. Knowing this, China seized the opportunity and attacked India. It must also be added that the western media grossly exaggerate the military and economic capabilities of China. After 1967, India has had the upper hand in most of the skirmishes with China.Ramesh Saraf, New YorkNot Wadiyar The photograph carried under the article titled "A Royal Precedent" (November 24) was not that of Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, the scion of the Wadiyar family, as mentioned in the caption.M. Lakshminarayan, Secretary,The Palace, MysorePublished By: AtMigration Published On: Dec 15, 1997--- ENDS ---
