Apropos the Cover Story on the arrest of the head of the Kanchi Mutt ("Behind the arrest", December 3), it is preposterous to depict any mutt leader as a representative of the Hindu community as a whole. The pontiff had this coming ever since he took religion into politics.
G. Raja BharathiChennai
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There are some questions regarding this issue that need to be answered: Why does he not move the Supreme Court? Is there any evidence of his plans to flee to Nepal? Why was Sankararaman writing letters using other names?
Shiv Shanker AlmalKolkata
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It was shocking to read the statement of Jayendra Saraswathi, a high-profile religious leader, that his beloved devotees, unable to tolerate Sankararaman's harassment of the seer, could have killed him. This statement, in the course of his interview to a Tamil magazine has earned him the displeasure of thousands of his devotees. Instead of trying to shift the burden on others, he should face the process of law with confidence if he has not committed any offence.
C. RameshKeeramangalam, Tamil Nadu
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The attempt to communalise the issue by the Hindu fundamental forces is unjustified. The supporters of the seer are trying to put pressure on the investigation by taking to the streets. The presence of a former President and two former Prime Ministers in a rally organised in support of the seer shows the extent of pressure. The law should be allowed to take its course.
HariVirudhunagar, Tamil Nadu
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The arrest shocked millions of people across the world. Was it absolutely necessary to arrest the Acharya on Deepavali day and late in the night? Was there sufficient evidence to prove that he was planning to `flee' to Nepal? When `tainted Ministers' could be arrested and accommodated in `guest houses', was it necessary to put the 69-year-old Acharya behind bars?
Whatever be the truth, the arrest has sent clear signals to religious leaders of all faiths - to stay away from politics, disassociate themselves from the financial dealings of their institutions and instead, carry out their religious duties. Our religious leaders perceive themselves to be above the law despite preaching to the ordinary masses that `all are equal before god and law'. Religious leaders should lead by example by staying away from luxuries, a path followed by Sri Jayendra Saraswathi's predecessor, the Paramacharya, Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi. It is unfortunate that political parties are trying to get mileage out of the issue. This issue needs to be tackled as a legal issue and not otherwise.
S. BalakrishnanJamshedpur
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Even if the arrest of the Kanchi seer can be construed as being politically motivated, without clinching evidence it would have been virtually impossible for Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to arrest him on the charge of such a heinous crime.
Siddhartha Raj GuhaJabalpur
Bose institute
The institution built by J.C. Bose shows what an individual with dedication can do ("A unique institution", December 3).
When modern science has come of age with robotics in place, the Bose Institute has set a pace for scientific research with traditional inputs.
A.S. RajReceived on e-mail
Indian painting
The five-part series spoke at length about the spread of Indian art, culture, tradition and philosophy with a focus on marvellous paintings and sculptures ("Rediscovering Indian painting"). The pictures were a feast for the eyes.
R.R. SamiTiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu
Veerappan
The Cover Story on Veerappan was informative ("The end of Veerappan", November 19). The article could have been enriched further by an illustration of the site of the operation.
R. NambiarPune
Water trade
Water crisis is a major global problem with many countries already in the grip of scarcity ("Chasing the mirage", November 19). The situation is going to get worse in the coming decades. Lakes and aquifers are the largest repositories of fresh water. But these resources are under threat owing to the unchecked pollution of surface water and extensive extraction of ground water. Our water resources belong to everybody and no one in particular has exclusive user rights. In this context the concept of `virtual water' assumes great significance.
T.N. VenugopalKochi
Savarkar
In his article on Savarkar, A.G. Noorani mentions that the Janata Party government headed by Morarji Desai declared the cellular jail complex in the Andamans as a national monument ("A national hero?", November 5). There is history behind it. After Independence, freedom fighters, particularly surviving inmates of the cellular jail felt that this jail, which had become a symbol of the intense suffering and sacrifice of revolutionary patriots, should be preserved as a national monument. It was only because of the persistent efforts of the `Ex Andaman Political Prisoners Fraternity Circle' and support of the Members of Parliament that the Government of India took the decision to declare it a national monument in 1963. Unfortunately however, it took 16 years for the government to implement this decision.
In the last few years the Sangh Parivar has been trying to identify Savarkar with Andamans and to project this national monument as a Savarkar monument to boost their Hindutva ideology.
Raghunath GokarnThousand Oaks, California, U.S.
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A.G. Noorani's article on Savarkar was excellent. The leaders of communal forces are insidiously and sordidly fulfilling their goals of politics.
Arihant PathardeChandrapur
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