Sheltering a criminal is also a crime

This refers to the report Hang Kasab, says Kavita Karkare (November 24). It was disheartening to see that even a year after Pakistani terrorists descended on our soil and wreaked havoc in full view of the whole nation, the surviving terrorist, Ajmal Amir Kasab, is still enjoying government hospitality while the judicial system is trying to prove his guilt.

Sheltering a criminal is also a crime
This refers to the report Hang Kasab, says Kavita Karkare (November 24). It was disheartening to see that even a year after Pakistani terrorists descended on our soil and wreaked havoc in full view of the whole nation, the surviving terrorist, Ajmal Amir Kasab, is still enjoying government hospitality while the judicial system is trying to prove his guilt. Don’t the authorities realise that sheltering a criminal is also a crime? Kasab and his mentors must be thanking their stars for choosing India as their target because any other self-respecting nation would have awarded him the death penalty.
Anil Kumar Bali, via email

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A flight of fancy
These days, it seems, our President has little to do other than going on a publicity jaunt in a Sukhoi-30MKI (Pratibha-ji force, The Pundit, November 26). Nearly 8,000 security personnel were engaged to beef up security while Patil indulged her whim. As the President is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the Air Force had to accede to her wishes. The traffic in Pune was thrown into turmoil just for this sortie. It’s quite a farce that all commercial flights were also on hold till she completed her aerial picnic.
Shanmugam Mudaliar, Pune

Precious little has been done
Ramachandra Guha in his article An invisible world (History Matters, November 24) was right in stating that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act has done more bad than good to the people of the North-east in general. The Act is full of discriminatory factors and does not render justice to the affected people. The armed and paramilitary forces stand guilty of carrying out several killings, torture, rapes and extortions in the past. Keeping in mind its record, the government must repeal this Act.
NR Ramachandran, via email