MEMORIES came flocking to my mind when I read the obituary by Sudhanva Deshpande on Habib Ahmed Khan, more popularly known as Habib Tanvir (Citizen of the world, July 3). I was fortunate to have seen two of his plays Charandas Chor and Bahadur Kalarin both in Chhattisgarhi, which were staged in Jamshedpur sometime in 1979-80. I enjoyed the plays greatly as I understand and speak Chhattisgarhi very well.
Habib Tanvirs greatest contribution is that he made folk performers of India believe in their art and diverted the nations attention to traditional resources in performing arts. His death signals the end of an era and creates a void in the world of Indian theatre that will be very difficult to fill.
S. Balakrishnan Jamshedpur, JharkhandAfghan tragedyMARC W. HEROLDS Cover Story (Afghan Tragedy, July 3) reveals the futility of the war in Afghanistan. The United States/North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces should decide what the ultimate aim of the ongoing war is. Is it to establish the superiority of the U.S. war machine or to flush out Al Qaeda chief responsible for 9/11?
If the war is not against the peaceful Afghan people, what purpose is served by indiscriminate bombing? The world shudders to think about the consequences of U.S. policy in the Af-Pak region.
Krishna Phadnis MumbaiTHE Cover Story was insightful. The war on terror started soon after the 9/11 incident. What America achieved was increasing civilian causalities.
Wasif Riza Kozhikode, KeralaWE expected that with the establishment of democracy, peace and prosperity would return to Afghanistan. But it is disappointing that the Afghan tragedy has not come to an end. President Obama has failed to protect Afghan civilians and the devastation perpetuated upon them continues.
A. Jacob Sahayam ThiruvananthapuramThe SpeakerAS stated in the article Strategic choice (July 3), Meira Kumar is not the first Dalit to occupy the Speakers post. G.M.C. Balayogi, who was Speaker during the National Democratic Alliance regime, was a Dalit. He had represented the Amalapuram Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Pradesh, which was reserved for the Scheduled Castes.
Dr Srinivas Ainavolu MumbaiRacismWHAT may have begun as a series of random assaults on Indian students could easily balloon into the demonisation of an entire ethnic minority (Anguish in Australia, July 3). The ongoing recession has hurt the Australian economy, which is beginning to contract.
Authorities in Sydney and Melbourne need to ensure every Indian student the right to life and liberty. After all, higher education is one of Australias export earners, attracting students from South-East and South Asia.
J. Akshay SecunderabadGMs fallSKYSCRAPERS such as the General Motors Detroit headquarters and the awe-inspiring headquarters of the bankrupt financial institutions elsewhere in the U.S. are now no better than tombstones of American capitalism (Fall of a giant, July 3)!
K.P. Rajan MumbaiBinayak SenTHOUGH the Supreme Court has released Dr Binayak Sen on bail, the deeper wrong has not yet been righted (Bail and justice, June 19). If there is no evidence of his being a naxalite, Sen should be acquitted and an enquiry made into the entire process of his arrest.
Marisha Fonseca MumbaiElection 2009AFTER the astonishing victory of the Congress (Cover Story, Congress resurgence, June 5), the biggest challenge before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi is to live up to the faith reposed in them by the people. The Congress should now concentrate on reforms that will improve transparency and accountability, and will translate into improved performance, better public services, efficient administration and decrease corruption and focus on economic security, land distribution, and decentralisation of powers to people at the village level.
Dr Vitull K. Gupta Bhatinda, PunjabANNOUNCEMENTLetters, whether by surface mail or e-mail, must carry the full postal address and the full name, or the name with initials.
