A son of the soil, Sushil Kumar is a sport among sportsmen
Indraneel Das’s article Hermit champion (360o, September 19) on pugilist Sushil Kumar made for delightful reading.
Indraneel Das’s article Hermit champion (360o, September 19) on pugilist Sushil Kumar made for delightful reading. The only Indian to win a gold-medal at the World Wrestling Championship and a bronze winner at the Olympics, Kumar doesn’t seem hungry for media attention and comes across as a down-to-earth person. Unlike other sportspersons, he doesn’t seem to be in a rush to sign advertising deals and feels happy to have his parents watch him compete. India needs more players like Kumar, who are unpretentious and hungry for success.
D.S. Panwar, Delhi
Anarchy has a price tag
Samar Halarnkar’s article We, the Kashmiri people (The Big Story, September 19) did not make even a passing reference to the barbarity with which Kashmiri Pandits were forced out of the state. But it was shocking to read about the rioters’ candid confession that politicians and separatists are paying them to keep the Valley on the boil. It’s wrong to compare the violence on Kashmir’s streets to India’s Independence struggle. If the separatists really want complete azadi for Kashmir, they should make a similar demand to the Pakistan government too.
Vineet Kaul, Delhi
Make Kashmiris feel at home in India
Vir Sanghvi in Our secularism will withstand any opposition (Counterpoint, September 19) analysed the current Kashmir problem in light of other events that have been fuelling unrest in the Valley for decades. Granting a special status to the state has widened the gap between Kashmir and the rest of India. To find a solution to all of Kashmir’s problems, the central and state governments should first bridge this chasm. The
people of Kashmir should be made to feel at home in India, and this should have been the priority of the recent all-party delegation to the Valley.
S.V. Taneja, Delhi
II
Sanghvi boldly expressed his views on Kashmir, which many politicians and columnists have deliberately avoided to do for years, assuming that time will be the best medicine for Kashmiris. Sanghvi’s straightforward analysis should make all parties reconsider their plans of actions for the state. Hopefully, it will also encourage them to shed prejudices while making demands for Kashmir’s azadi. The change in the media’s attitude towards Kashmir — offering solutions and calling a spade a spade — is welcome.
Shishir Goel, Ghaziabad
III
A careful reading of some of the recent news reports on Kashmir will make it clear that the problem is not as intractable as it’s being made to appear. But there’s no denying that none of the state governments so far have succeeded in providing employment opportunities to youngsters, who have now resorted to stone-pelting out of desperation. The youth, which seems to have a vision for Kashmir as a part of India, should be encouraged to join mainstream politics.
A.D. Pandey, Delhi
The art of denial
Manas Chakravarty’s article Errors & Omissions (Loose Canon, September 19) presented an accurate analysis of the government’s inability to tackle anarchy in Kashmir. The situation in the Valley is going from bad to worse. But the government is holding the media responsible for ‘misrepresenting’ facts and ‘misguiding’ the common man. Our politicians seem to have made a habit of backtracking on their statements. Chakravarty’s use of the stock market and reality shows helps him to discuss a serious problem but in a lighter vein.
Sonali Agarwal, Jaipur
Thank nature, not god
Karan Thapar’s write-up Oh my God! (Sunday Sentiments, September 19) made for interesting reading. An inquiry into one’s wavering belief in god’s existence isn’t uncommon. The universe is governed by the laws of physics — not by a supreme being. The only force that people should worship and be indebted to is mother nature.
Ashok Ghosh, via email
Mum’s the word
Amid various discouraging reports on the Games preparation, it was delightful to read about eight ‘super-moms’, who will be representing India in the Games (India’s sporty moms on gold hunt at Games, September 19). It’s heartening that they haven’t let their responsibilities as wives and mothers come in the way of their dedication to sports.
G.K. Arora, Delhi
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