Veerappan

Forest brigand Veerappan might be a murderer, smuggler and a thief, but many politicians who have committed similar crimes continue to be leaders and mislead the people ("The end of Veerappan", November 19).

P.R. SamySelangor, Malaysia

Kashmir

This refers to the Review Article "The Kashmiri mind" (November 19). A.G. Noorani is right in concluding that "it would be tragic if India persists in its old policy and misses a fine opportunity to make a new beginning in India-Pakistan relations". A plebiscite with some changes to suit the present situation could be a solution to the Kashmir problem. It should be held separately in Jammu, Kashmir (including the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir) and Ladakh and the people's decision should be honoured. The plebiscite should be held by the United Nations with the help of a peace-keeping force acceptable to all parties concerned.

N. KunjuDelhi

Mughal-e-Azam

After the despicable `remixes' of immortal songs from various Hindi films, the age of frivolity has claimed its next victim - the classic black-and-white Hindi film ("The colour of profit", November 19).

Frontline is to be complimented for putting this whole business of digital `colourisation' of black and white classics in a proper perspective. I fully agree with P.K. Nair and Adoor Gopalakrishnan.

That the age of black-and-white is past us is, of course, true, but Nair hits the nail on the head when he says that films like Mughal-e-Azam are part of the country's cultural heritage and this must not be squandered "for some cheap profits". The author has written about Madhumati and Guru Dutt's films becoming potential victims. Will it eventually affect Charulata and Pather Panchali?

Sharadchandra PansePune

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Having seen great classics like Jhansi Ki Rani (1951), Aan (1952), Mother India (1958) and Ganga Jamuna (1960) in colour, I never thought I would be able to see the all-time great Mughal-e-Azam in full colour during my lifetime. The making of the re-coloured and digitalised version of K. Asif's masterpiece is ample proof that India is second to none in talent and technology. With noted music director Uttam Singh assisting Naushad at the Dolby 6.1 "surround sound" system, the digitalised and evergreen songs of Mughal-e-Azam are bound to create new records.

With the re-colouring of classics like Madhumati, Naya Daur and Pyasa on the anvil, I am sure that the lost glory of Hindi cinema will be regained and one will able to see films belonging to the `golden era' (1950s) in their true splendour.

S. BalakrishnanJamshedpur

Water trade

At the end of the 20th century, the world faces a number of challenges affecting the availability, accessibility, use and sustainability of its fresh water resources ("Chasing the Mirage", November 19). These could have serious implications for the present and future generations of humanity as also for ecosystems. Water resource development is to be seen not merely as a single sector end objective, but as a prime mover in developing larger systems with multiple linkages. This calls for a well prepared multidisciplinary research agenda covering not only technological issues but also issues of social, economic, legal and environmental concerns.

Virtual water trade as a solution to the world's water crisis has grave socio-economic implications for developing countries that are not self-sufficient in food. Import of virtual water would deprive farmers of their livelihoods. Local, national and regional food security has to be ensured before undertaking trade in virtual water. These and other related problems are not beyond the present state of knowledge and technology, but what is lacking is the political will and societal awareness.

Meenakshi ChandiramaniNew Delhi

K.N. Raj

Thank you for the excellent article on Kakkadan Nandnath Raj, that tall economist and still taller teacher and institution builder, on his 80th birthday ("A man behind the Plan", November 5). It is a fitting tribute to the genius the man personifies. Many of us wish that Jawaharlal Nehru had listened to him instead of P.C. Mahalonobis insofar as the Five-Year Plans were concerned. His stress on agriculture, education and healthcare facilities, if taken seriously, would have taken India far ahead on the Human Development Index.

Ajoy BagchiNew Delhi

American offer

This is with reference to the American Ambassador David C. Mulford's offer of Federal Bureau of Investigation assistance to probe the blasts in Assam and Nagaland ("The American offer", November 5). How odd it will be if the Central Bureau of Investigation takes over the duties of the FBI in the United States.

Pramod S. PrasadKollam

Empire

Arundhati Roy's essay "Public Power in the Age of Empire" is an excellent analysis of the contemporary world. It reveals how imperialist forces oppress the fundamental rights of peoples. The capitalist forces loot the world's resources and push a majority of the world population into poverty and unemployment (October 22).

The "state" protects all inhuman activities of capitalism and oppresses all kinds of resistance. While revealing the activities of the state, Arundhati Roy, it seems, has not understood its class character. As Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels put it, the state is a tool of the ruling class to oppress the rival class. The facts explained in the article emphasis the correctness of this Marxist analysis.

Who will lead this action against the Empire of capital? Only a mighty and disciplined force can lead this fight. The working class is the only class that can lead such an action against the imperialist forces.

Elamaram KareemKozhikode, Kerala

Acknowledgement

The photographs of Koose Munisamy Veerappan published on the Cover and on pages 13 and 17 of Frontline (November 19) are courtesy Nakkheeran.