Above the Law"While Clinton is publicly humiliated for sexual misconduct, our leaders go free even when they cause mayhem. Is Indian politics above the law?"Manohar Dansingani,PuneTwo Sides To Every StoryThe US has always tried to maintain a moral high ground in world affairs in order to police this unipolar world. President Bill Clinton may be an able administrator, a shrewd politician and an excellent orator but this does not give him the liberty to lie under oath ("Beyond the Monica Mess", September 28). Had the US not always projected itself as a redeemer of mankind, the seamy details of the goings-on in the White House would not have caused such a furore. Clinton may well survive but America has nonetheless emerged a weaker nation.Gaurang Jalan,CalcuttaYour critical analysis of the Clinton-Lewinsky affair is praiseworthy because it refrained from describing the lurid details the international media is doling out to a voyeuristic public. A strict moral code is essential for those holding high office but when a permissive society like that of the US pursues the matter at the cost of becoming the laughing stock, it becomes absurd. If Clinton escapes impeachment, he could try to compensate for his tainted private life by playing the global policeman to the hilt.N. Sudhakaran,ThiruvananthapuramThe comment that Bill Clinton's support comes "mainly from blacks, women and the lower middle class" is a reflection not only of the typical "nose in the air" elitism of the Indian upper classes but a profound ignorance of the US electorate. I voted for Bill Clinton to reverse the damage done to the country by 12 years of supply-side (aka Ponzi scheme) economics. Clinton has done this well enough to ensure the Republicans don't come to the fore with another dose of Reaganomics. That is the real reason for the vitriolic hatred expressed by the Republicans towards the President. Incidentally, I am neither black nor female and, based on the taxes I pay, certainly not lower middle class.Rick Rashid,on e-mail"By subscribing to the American and Pakistani point of view on the Kashmir issue, Nelson Mandela has lowered not only the credibility of the NAM summit but also his own."H. Singh, New YorkUnnecessary CritiqueHurling repeated invectives at the RSS, a mammoth organisation revered by crores of Indians, shows the report in a bad light ("RSS on the Rampage", September 28). Cocktail-circuit journalists will not be able to wipe out a body that has survived over 50 years despite governments having been against its ideology. The BJP is backed by the RSS and the checks imposed by the RSS will only help the Government in the long run. People-oriented organisations like the RSS will not be detrimental to the country's future as indicated in the report but will compel the Centre to do more for its citizens.Mukund Kute,on e-mailSave What We HaveTectonic movements resulted in the river Sarasvati vanishing from the face of the earth ("Search for the Sarasvati", September 28). With it declined a flourishing urban civilisation. We should learn a lesson from this and help preserve our existing rivers. This can only be achieved by removing pollutants, cleaning the rivers and preserving their sources. Otherwise, our own doom is not too far.Dhiraj Kumar,DelhiBang on targetThe sportswatch column was an informative, well-written piece and came bang on target ("The Real Winners", September 28). The line that best describes the plight of sports and sportspersons was: "Unless India recognises its heroes, it will have none." While cricket receives too much attention, other sports are relegated to the background. This lack of appreciation fails to take cognisance of genuine heroes in other sports. It's time other games were given proper recognition.Joydeep Ghosh,on e-mailToo much sleazeIt is disappointing to note the continuing deterioration in the quality of INDIA TODAY's coverage. The magazine seems to be on a downward spiral with its titillating stories on sexual preferences, homosexuals, male strippers and now, on teenage sex ("An Early Awakening", September 21). The photographs accompanying the article were not in the least informative but vulgar and suggestive. Even if some schoolchildren retain their innocence, reading a story like this would probably egg them on into believing that sex is the "in thing". Agreed, the topic warranted a report but surely did not need to be the cover story. Publishing articles like this will only add to the growing physical, moral and psychological malaise of the nation.Fatima D'souza,Mapusa, GoaFor several months your magazine has been publishing a number of articles on extramarital relationships, male stripper clubs and sex among college students. Such articles create the impression that these are the new social norms of the urban rich and westernised class. Repeated publication of such stories will only be rationalised as an implicit endorsement of permissive behaviour by the so-called modern society.Saket Mansingh,California, USASelfish ProponentTavleen Singh appears to be more a proponent of capitalism than an advocate of socialist policies and anti-poverty programmes ("Yesterday's Men and Ideas", September 21). What Singh fails to understand is that capitalism brings out only two sets of people-winners and losers. Socialist ideals in a country like ours are indispensable. Their opponents are those who see them as a threat to their affluence-which they enjoy at the expense of the ignorant masses.Anil B. Kale,on e-mail from Lombard, Illinois, USA Animal Instincts, Says Who?The graphic representation of the father figure demonstrating a very Indian characteristic is forceful. The problem is figuring out how to "bell the cat". Even a cat could teach this Ugly Indian a lesson or two! WG CDR (Retd) J. Premvardhan, Bangalore Apathy All The WayThe Government's Disastrous management of calamities like the Bhopal gas tragedy is truly deplorable ("The City of Tombs", September 21). No sooner does the media's ink on the humanist aspect dry than the politician-bureaucrat nexus feasts on such calamities like so many scavengers. People simply shrug off the responsibility. In this case, crores of rupees meant for disaster management have been siphoned off. The apathy and callousness of the Government are evident as the majority of projects for rehabilitation have never taken off. It is not the lack of funds but their misappropriation that has worsened the plight of the victims. A collective voice needs to be raised against such misuse.Alok Srivastava,on e-mail from AhmedabadNo Place HereIf a group like Tata which is a pioneer in the industrial growth of our country finds it difficult to get its project cleared, one can easily imagine the working pattern of our bureaucratic set-up ("Jettisoned for Nothing", September 14). Projects like these are not given preference according to their merits. Because of this trend, many eminent doctors and scientists neglected in our country have migrated to other countries and reached high positions there.Rajiv Gugnani,FaridabadBad ExperienceYour article could have been more appropriately titled The Ugly Indian Male ("The Ugly Indian", August 24). The essay neglects - as Indian society seems to do in general - its female population. The way women are treated in India is absolutely disgusting. As a Canadian tourist visiting India, I was subjected to humiliating treatment from Indian men - from officials in the tourism department to autorickshaw drivers to men on the street. The Indian Government claims it wants to double the number of tourists. How can it do so when tourists are treated so shabbily? I came to India with an open mind and an open pocket book and spent over $8,000. I left in disgust and needless to say my pocket book shall remain closed forever.N. Prefontaine,Lyon, FrancePublished By: AtMigration Published On: Oct 12, 1998--- ENDS ---
