Hunger

THE data provided by the Global Hunger Index are distressing and akin to poverty in plenty (Growth and hunger in The Nation, November 16). Hunger kills more people than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Fifty per cent of child deaths are due to under-nutrition, which is a silent emergency. Treating hunger-related diseases without providing adequate food is nothing but medicalising the starvation and is more costly than providing food. Hunger is the greatest solvable problem. The Chilean poet Pablo Neruda said, For now I ask no more than the justice of eating. Let us achieve justice of eating by good production, by not wasting and by providing access to all.

Sri Lanka

THE Cover Story (November 16) gave a comprehensive coverage of the situation prevailing in northern Sri Lanka after the defeat of the LTTE. The plight of ordinary Tamils is pitiable as even after the end of a crippling 30 years of war, peace has not returned to their lives. The show of one-upmanship between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil National Alliance is proving to be a big impediment to the rebuilding process. There has to be a spirit of give and take on both sides.

J. Anantha Padmanabhan Trichy, Tamil Nadu

I WAS shocked to see the picture of the Victory Memorial in Puthukudiyiruppu on the cover. I do not support the way the LTTE functioned. But Mahinda Rajapaksas defence forces ruthlessly eliminated innocent civilians in the last stages of the war.

V. Pandy Thoothukudi, Tamil NaduKhap panchayats

RAPE cases are on the rise in the country because of gender insensitivity and the narrow chauvinistic mindset present in society (Hisars shame, November 16). As the political parties do not show that they are serious about tackling sexual crimes, perpetrators of these crimes have little fear of the law. The growing number of rapes in Haryana is a grim reminder that politics has taken precedence over human values. There is a need to strengthen laws and ensure their effective implementation rather than listen to the bizarre suggestions of khap panchayats.

K.R. Srinivasan SecunderabadAgainst corruption

THE article Shock strategy (November 16) was able to elucidate various aspects of Arvind Kejriwal and his India Against Corruption movement. But the reader was still left guessing what shape this IAC movement might take in relation to the numerous political parties and their divergent ideologies, which are mostly self-serving. Kejriwal will announce his partys name on November 26, but his vision and views are not reassuring, to say the least. In such a situation, the IAC needs to spell out its plans.

H.C. Pandey New Delhi

WHEN Kejriwal levelled corruption charges against Robert Vadra, Congress spokesmen described him as the BJPs B team. Now that he has accused the BJP president of receiving personal favours such as accepting 100 acres of agricultural land from the Congress-led Maharashtra government after bending the rules, it can also be said that he is the Congress agent.

People should discard corrupt and criminal-minded people from politics. Many individuals are using their official positions to indulge in corruption, hiding behind the trusts and charitable organisations they created. The government should confiscate all ill-gotten wealth.

S. Raghunatha Prabhu Alappuzha, Kerala

KEJRIWAL and his team have shown that they are no different from other politicians. This new brand of politician is using corruption as a plank to come to power. It is ironical that a person who does not believe in the Indian democratic system wants to contest elections to remedy it. What is the guarantee that his party will not be corrupt if it comes to power or wins some seats? It is not only unfair but also dangerous that Kejriwal assumes the dual role of levelling allegations against people and becoming the jury and the judge.

Deendayal M. Lulla MumbaiNarendra Modi

IN terms of development, there is no doubt that under the rule of Chief Minister Narendra Modi Gujarat has surpassed other States (Modi versus the rest, November 16). Every great leader has weaknesses. National leaders were responsible for the anti-Sikh riots, the Babri Masjid demolition, the Emergency, Partition and the Kashmir problem. It does not mean that they were individually responsible. They were answerable to their parties, and more so to the people. It is the political parties that play ducks and drakes with the aam aadmi. Gujarat and the rest of the country need to move on.

M. Kumar New Delhi

CONTRARY to the vigorous hate discourse against Modi, his 10-year-long leadership has replaced communal discord in Gujarat, and in the process he has emerged as the States undisputed leader. Just like the anti-Sikh riots of 1984, the Godhra chapter is also now in the bitter past. Hard-working and self-respecting Gujaratis have moved forward in all the spheres. There is no bias in the State on the basis of caste or religion and everyone is welcome to be part of the development and improve their standard of living.

Ettirankandath Krishnadas Palakkad, KeralaAnti-Sikh riots

THE article Ending the silence ( November16) recapitulated the agony of the victims of the carnage that was unleashed on the Sikh people in 1984. It is the governments responsibility to prevent the reactionary responses of misguided people. Having failed in that essential duty, the government allowed the situation to snowball into bloodshed and then maintained a studied silence. This has, unfortunately, led to further alienation among the affected people. Instead of taking refuge in the passage of time and letting the simmering discontent cause unmanageable polarisation among people, the Centre should bring the criminal organisers of the riots to book.

B. Rajasekaran Bangalore

THE ghosts will continue to haunt us, writes Vikram Kapur, because many questions remain unanswered in the aftermath of the riots in Delhi. The author was spot on when he said that as a nation we prefer silence to dealing with our historical mistakes. The events of 1984 lacked the necessary follow-up and scrutiny and this gave those responsible for the riots an escape route. Turning a blind eye to riots is as good as encouraging them.

Balasubramaniam Pavani SecunderabadYash Chopra

THE obituary for Yash Raj Chopra made for an emotional read, taking me down memory lane (Hit maker, November, 16). An era in Hindi cinema has come to an end. Chopra was not only a great exponent of film-making but was also a leading architect of Bollywood. His production house, Yash Raj Films, always welcomed new talent, ideas and techniques. As a director, Chopra understood the pulse of the audience, and he will always be remembered for his subtle and mature handling of human emotions.

S. Balakrishnan Jamshedpur, Jharkhand

KUDOS to Frontline for its fitting tribute to Chopra. Through his demise, we have lost a veteran film-maker and a great humanitarian.

Milind D. More Nashik, Maharashtra

NO one portrayed romance on the silver screen better than Chopra did. He once said, I have made films on human relations and always followed my heart. Chopra is the man behind the meteoric rise of many a superstar, including Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.

Mahesh Kapasi New DelhiPhysics Nobel

THE experiments conducted by David Wineland and Serge Haroche are basically thought experiments (Quantum leap, November 16). Observations are made and recorded with macro equipment located in the classical environment as usual. The laboratory manipulations in the preparation stage are also in the classical world. But what goes on in the middle waiting stage in the micro system is very much a part of the theorists imagination. Only the calculations according to quantum rules are confirmed by the concrete experimental data. The new experiments merely embellish the middle imaginative stage, without in any way clarifying or resolving the contradictions inherent in the quantum description.

T.M. Jayaraman Palakkad, KeralaOpening up insurance

THE Cover Story (November 2) on FDI in the insurance sector was excellent. The interviews gave one great insight into the current economic issues and highlighted the dissent of the working class against the United Progressive Alliances policies. Let such opposition from all classes of people ring a warning bell for the UPA.

Santha Lakshmi K.M. Vellore, Tamil Nadu

FRONTLINE deserves praise for putting the spotlight on the ill-effects of the infusion of FDI into the insurance sector. That UPA II intends to open this Pandoras box ignoring the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee amply demonstrates how democratic norms are sought to be trampled on.

The Cover Story exposed the character of the Centre dancing shamelessly to the tune of globalisation policies, endangering the security of 35 crore policy holders savings. Amanullah Khan, president of the All India Insurance Employees Association, in his interview, blew the lid off the Centres arguments in favour of FDI in insurance.

C. Chandrasekaran Madurai, Tamil Nadu

AMANULLAH KHAN highlighted the UPA II governments pro-capitalist policies. The governments motives behind its decision to increase the FDI limit in insurance became clear on reading the interview.

Anu Malhotra Ludhiana, PunjabDiamond workers

IF the slowdown in the Western market worsens, more diamond workers will be rendered jobless (Rough cuts, November 2). The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, requires companies employing more than 100 workers to seek government approval before they fire employees or close down. Since diamond workers are in small units, they do not come under the Act.

Perhaps, the jobless workers could enrol themselves in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to earn a livelihood and return to the diamond industry when it starts functioning again.

Nikhil Sharma Pune, MaharashtraMalala

THE story of Malala Yousafzai was depressing (Taliban targets young activist in World View, November 2). As much as we may decry the Talibans cruel act against a young girl, we should ask ourselves whether we have the moral authority to do so. There are outfits in India that behave much like the Taliban.

A. Michael Dhanaraj Coimbatore, Tamil NaduCauvery issue

WHY is everyone hell-bent on making a villain out of Karnataka (Troubled waters, November 2)? The agitation and unrest in Karnataka are an indication of the suffering that the farmers there are facing. For a State that has seen farmer suicides, some degree of understanding from the Indian Union and its citizens is the need of the hour. Farmers in the Cauvery basin in Karnataka grow just two crops as against three in Tamil Nadu and rely solely on the mercurial south-west monsoon. The present requirement in Karnataka is water for basic survival. The acute distress could become a humanitarian crisis if it is not addressed appropriately.

B. Shivarudraiah Chitradurga, KarnatakaANNOUNCEMENT

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