Factual errors
K Shankar Bajpai in Flex those muscles (June 1) gets some basic facts wrong. He talks about 'our 1994 tests'. He claims without evidence that we don't have 'enough uranium even for minimum deterrence'.
K Shankar Bajpai in Flex those muscles (June 1) gets some basic facts wrong. He talks about 'our 1994 tests'. He claims without evidence that we don't have 'enough uranium even for minimum deterrence'. He compliments the US for rescuing the Tarapur reactors, not knowing the fuel for them has come from Russia. And he cites 'reactions carried in our media' to claim that the cave-in school of thought represents majority opinion.
Harsh Ray, Gurgaon
Mayawati's strategy
With reference to Barkha Dutt's article In the pink of health (May 26), a lot of hype has been created by the media over Mayawati. As in the past, Mayawati has transferred hundreds of government officials. She has forgotten her popular slogan 'eradication of goonda raj', which she promised during the election campaign. She did not win because of either charisma or brilliance. The failure of slogans like 'garibi hatao', 'aam aadmi', 'mandir banao' is probably the reason why her slogan succeeded.
Murari Chaturvedi, Delhi
II
Barkha Dutt has rightly diagnosed the political acumen of Mayawati. But there is nothing fixed in politics, it's all about chance. Every political party and its torch-bearer has a particular ideology to begin his or her political career and scale the stairs of power. When this goal is achieved, the primary ideology takes the backseat and power becomes the main objective. Mayawati too followed the same principle of espousing the cause of Dalits and has now reached the peak by building an unlikely camaraderie between Brahmins and Dalits.
Ramesh Kumar Raja, Delhi
III
Barkha Dutt seems indecisive all the time. Even though the 'march of the BSP' was classically majestic, to foresee Mayawati as a strong prime ministerial candidate is premature. Whether the Brahmins vote in the same pattern in 2009 remains to be seen. The saffron brigade is treating this defeat as a blessing in disguise as it has given it a much-needed shake-up before the finale.
Maneesh Verma via e-mail
IV
Barkha Dutt seems to think that Mayawati has some sort of mystique. The new chief minister is no less feudal than her predecessors. It is not right to assume that decisions taken by the previous government, whosoever it may be, are always wrong. She needs a more mature approach.
Gulshan Kumar Arora, Delhi
V
Mayawati's political ascendancy has ushered in a new era of revolution from below. But this change is ephemeral and has no meaning unless the foundations are laid for an equitable society. Reforms must start from the lowest strata of society to induce upward social mobility.
AD Pandey, Delhi
Nuclear nuances
In her report, India, US make good progress on nuclear deal (June 1), Nilova Roy Chaudhury wrongly says that India lacks a safeguarded reprocessing facility. Any reprocessing in India will occur under tight international inspections. In fact, in the Separation Plan worked out with the United States, India has agreed to place 35 facilities under permanent external inspections, including the reprocessing plant known as 'PREFRE'. Despite that, the US is dragging its feet on permitting India to reprocess spent fuel from the reactors it will import.
K Shankar Kumar, Delhi
Apples and oranges
Manoj Joshi's article Shake your moneymakers (May 30) made little sense. You cannot compare the economic growth rates of India and China because the latter's leaders do not have to face general elections once in five years. Journalists should know that economics without politics amounts to nothing.
AG Majumdar, Bangalore
II
Leftists will dine in five-star comfort while lecturing people about the aam aadmi and their problems. Just as their aversion to the market is a ploy to ensure that the country remains mired in poverty and will never have the resources to take on China. These Leftists have always been anti-national.
Rohit Choudhary via e-mail
General in trouble
With reference to Vikram Sood's article Uneasy lies the head (May 28), it is a logical derivation that Musharraf's longevity looks uncertain from the events of the last two months. Apart from the resurgence of fundamentalists and the turmoil over the Chief Justice's suspension, anger in the provinces against the the military regime and widening regional imbalances do not augur well for him. Pakistan appears to be drifting towards a prolonged period of instability, which should be a cause of anxiety for Indian policy-makers.
RJ Khurana, Bhopal
Political machinations
The unrest in Rajasthan is spreading and seems politically motivated by people who don't care for the future of the country. They are using these villagers to spread violence and chaos for their own selfish ends. The government should come down heavily on these troublemakers and stem the unrest before it spreads its tentacles and more lives are lost and public property damaged. It is unfortunate that politicians can stoop so low to gain political mileage.
Ranjana Manchanda via e-mail
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