IN his essay, A.G. Noorani makes an objective criticism without attributing motives to the delinquent Judges (Above the law, November 7). He throws light on instances where the higher judiciary has suffered moral decadence. It is well known that the Indian judiciary has independence sans democratic accountability.
The common man feels that the problem is sociological rather than jurisprudential and there are no simple solutions available. Former Chief Justices like E.S. Venkataramiah and S.P. Bharucha have admitted that many among the higher judiciary are not above the mark. Under such circumstances, an alternative forum ought to have been constituted.
A commission of high statutes may be formed to enquire into a candidates fitness before he or she is appointed as a Judge. Finally, as suggested by legal luminaries, a National Judicial Commission may be established to deal with cases of corruption and other matters in the higher judiciary.
H. Syed Madani Tiruchi, Tamil NaduFinancial crisisTHE bubble burst in the world of finance has sounded the death knell for U.S.-imposed neoliberal policies (Cover Story, November 7). The battering of the system is so severe that it will be difficult to find any immediate solution.
The assurance given by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that deposits in banks are safe is the silver lining to the cloud. Had pension funds been parked in the stock market, it would have proved disastrous for retired people. The Finance Minister seems more interested in shoring up the stock market than in keeping prices under control.
India and China have been able to weather the financial storm because they have regulated banking structures.
S. Murali Vellore, Tamil NaduTHE economists who advocated the Wests mortgage culture for the development of the Indian economy are running for cover. Indians would do well to ponder over the concept of saving for a rainy day. Saving like the Japanese and not spending like the Americans is what will help Indians have a secure future.
N. Krishnamurthy New DelhiJAYATI GHOSHS column touched the basic points that led to the financial crisis of the U.S. kind (Who pays the price?, October 10). The recent financial crisis in the U.S. and the Harshad Mehta stock scam in India in the 1990s should open the eyes of governments of the rest of the world and prompt them to check their market-friendly policies.
G. Govind Reddy HyderabadAravind AdigaI CONGRATULATE Aravind Adiga on his winning the Man Booker Prize for 2008 (Profoundly Indian, November 7). India-born writers in English have come a long way from R.K. Narayans Malgudi Days. They handle a variety of themes with ease. The hybrid language they have ushered in is a new trend of writing.
J.S. Acgarta HyderabadKUDOS to Aravind Adiga for highlighting the darker side of the so-called progress of our times. The benefits of economic progress should reach people belonging to the lower strata of society too. However, as Aravind has revealed in his novel, only a small section of society has access to the fruits of globalisation. Let us hope the novel enables our policymakers to grasp the real meaning of the word progress.
Arvind K. Pandey AllahabadSomaliaTHE article On the prowl (November 7) shows the complete breakdown of law and order in the Gulf of Aden. The piracy problem is so serious that U.N. food and aid ships have to be escorted by warships.
The inability of the Somali authorities to check piracy has provoked the Indian government to order the Indian Navy to patrol the area and rescue ships flying the Indian flag from pirates. The Indian Navys efforts must be backed by other nations.
M.M. Gurbaxani BangaloreNano in GujaratPRAFUL BIDWAIS column (The Road to Gujarat, November 7) is intriguing. He criticises Ratan Tatas decision to move the Nano plant to Gujarat as an implicit endorsement of Narendra Modi as a dynamic and efficient, no-nonsense, pro-business leader, a validation of what the Bharatiya Janata Party celebrates as the Gujarat model of development. He also takes on the industrialists class (the Confederation of Indian Industry) for helping erase the memory of the Gujarat pogrom.
Mahasweta Devi was not alone in this whitewash job. Other colleagues of Bidwai in the Singur movement, such as Medha Patkar and Sumit Sarkar, as well as the National Human Rights Commission, outrageously equated Modi and Buddhadeb.
They drew, for the first time, a moral equivalence between Gujarat and West Bengal.
In this process, they successfully trivialised the Gujarat pogrom and tried to discredit West Bengals record in sustaining communal harmony. It would appear that Ratan Tata has religiously followed the diagnosis of Bidwai and his colleagues.
Blinded by an anti-CPI(M) passion, it was Bidwai and his colleagues who irresponsibly whitewashed Modi, stamped an imprimatur on him, and transformed him into a presentable bride for the Tata groom. The CII was probably watching gleefully.
R. Ramakumar MumbaiAfghanistanTHE truth is that whoever comes to power in Western countries, the tragedy of Afghanistan continues (Matrix of death, October 24). The fourth estate, whether Eastern or Western, behaves as the state. The analysis in Frontline brought the truth to the people.
K.M. Saidalavi Kalpetta, KeralaTerrorismTHE recent incidents of terrorism have unfortunately alienated the Muslim community (Stigma of terror, October 24).
A balanced and rational line of action is necessary to identify and punish the guilty, without targeting any particular group. It is a tightrope walk which, if performed diligently and honestly, will pave the way for a better tomorrow.
Amitabh Thakur LucknowPROFESSOR Mushirul Hasans assertion that he owes no explanation or justification to anybody holds no water (To preserve our secular inheritance, October 24). A Vice-Chancellor of a Central university is accountable to the Ministry of Human Resource Development which, in turn, is answerable to Parliament for the acts and deeds of the Vice-Chancellor.
Geetha Krishnamurthy New DelhiBHASKAR GHOSEs column (Knowing the enemy, October 24) stunned me. Newspapers might have given all this information before, but they did not make such an impact.
Trupti New DelhiKazhugumalaiTHE article on Kazhugumalai gave lot of background information about the rise and growth of Jainism in India (Stories in stone, October 24). But unlike the Ajanta and Ellora caves, the Jaina monuments at Kazhugumalai remain unprotected. The government should take the initiative to preserve this precious stone art for the benefit of future generations.
B.P. Pereira, Madurai Tamil NaduGurta GaddiTHANK you for bringing out the Special Feature on Gurta Gaddi 2008 (October 24). An interview with me has also been published. But I find that I have been misquoted. Perhaps, your correspondent collected the historical data from various sources, and while writing the interview, certain information was attributed to me.
In reply to the first question, I never stated that Guru Gobindsinghji came to Nanded to seek the help of Marathas to fight the Mughal empire. What I mentioned was that his arrival in Nanded coincided with the rise of the Maratha empire under the Peshwas.
P.S. Pasricha Chairman, Administrative Committee Takhat Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded
TourismI READ with interest the articles and interview in the Special Feature on tourism in Tamil Nadu (Destination Tamil Nadu, October 10). The photographs were very attractive too. However, the feature lacks information on Buddhist centres. Steps should be taken to include Buddhist centres in the tourism map of Tamil Nadu. While carrying out field work in connection with my doctoral thesis entitled Buddhism in the Chola country,, I identified more than 60 granite images of Buddha in the Chola country, where Buddha viharas might have existed.
B. Jambulingam Thanjavur Tamil NaduANNOUNCEMENT
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