Letters to the editor(03-10th Oct.)

The lucky BJP?

In the cover feature on Kashmir (TSI, Sept 27-Oct 3), Arindam Chaudhuri made an apt analysis and his prediction may prove true if the BJP plays its cards well. The UPA government is taking the situation lightly and waffling on it to let the anarchy prevail. It’s sad that our liberal and secular intellectuals are bending backwards to be politically correct even when faced with dangers of hard line Islam. Moreover, the government is groping in the dark to find an amicable solution to the Kashmir problem. The government must take a strong stance and engage the masses to make their viewpoint clear to one and all. Some people in the Valley help the trouble makers directly or indirectly. The demand for azadi is indeed for separation from India. We need to now the real reasons behind the current state of Kashmir. Asking for azadi is a big thing. Now the Congress led UPA government needs to decide or this could be the opportunity that BJP might have been waiting for.
Mohak, Chandigarh

No solution in sight

This is in reference to your thought provoking cover story “If BJP plays its cards well...” (TSI, Sept 27-Oct 3) by Arindam Chaudhuri. The Kashmir conundrum has confounded the policy makers and security forces for decades now. The anti-India sentiment harboured by sections of the society has grown manifold, as Prof. Chaudhuri rightly points out. A solitary glance at some of the inflammatory content posted by the irate Kashmiris on various online fora is enough to send alarm bells ringing. The present UPA government has miserably failed in their attempt to suitably find a solution “out of the Kashmir quagmire”. Perched on the fence of indecision, the government appears to be watching agape as Kashmir continues to burn. Prof. Chaudhuri makes a veritable point when he asks why the government cannot send out a strong, unambiguous message to the hardline Islamic radicals clearly outlining the fact that their ideology and vision don't fall within the nation's paradigm. The BJP and its allies can capitalise on the current situation and come to the fore. But the BJP has its own share of internal issues and visible factionalism that have seriously degraded their influence.
Pradyut Hande, Mumbai

Improve medical facilities

Arindam Chaudhuri's editorial and Prasoon Majumdar's column 'Musings' give an insight into India's position in the world (TSI, Sept 20-26). On one hand we are hosting the Commonwealth Games and on the other hand, the US companies are experimenting on our children for their medicines. Instead of spending such tremendous amount of money on the Commonwealth Games, we should have focussed on improving medical facilities in our country. This could have saved our children from becoming guinea pigs for the US pharma companies. But perhaps that could not have given the CWG organisers the chance to launder huge amounts of money. Let us now hope that the Games are successful and that our children will get good medical facilities in future.
Vishaal Vyas, Kachiguda, Hyderabad

CWG, Utter waste!

We cannot regret the CWG as it is too late now. But what we are learning is that the Games are nothing but a publicity stunt by Suresh Kalmadi and Co. This is not about India but about selfish motives and desires. We are still a developing country and have to focus on the basic issues. Our desperation to outdo Beijing reflects a desperation that is not based on logic. We had seven long years to prepare for the Games but delays led to the budget getting manifold. But the organisers did not care because the money was not going from their pockets. The hard earned money of the public is being lavishly spent by the selfish politicians. Delhi may improve but the rest of India will still be the same. Thousands of crores of rupees are nothing but a waste. The West surely does not judge a country by the games it can organise. It knows the real India and so do we. Our desperation is to please the white skin and in the process we shame ourselves even further. The wealth is coming from the common man, but it is being diverted elsewhere in the name of “Commonwealth”. India is trying to scale the peak but without stepping on the base.
Pramila Chirukandan, Kondhwa, Pune

Help the poor sex workers

K Raghav Sharma's touching and inspirational write-up “From brothel to broth” (TSI, Sept 20-26) issue would bring joy to many. Hotel Ashodaya is a monument of this endeavour, where few sex workers have opened up a hotel to make a decent living for themselves. I can cite two examples that I have come across. In one of the premier Christian hospitals of India, I saw that many women from the marginalised communities were employed so that they could lead a dignified life by earning their livelihood. Second one is the case of a good Samaritan woman who employed on part-time basis many poor housewives to ground spices and then through her contacts managed to sell the end product. And thus many women had a supplementary income to manage their family budget. The well-off of our society should do something for the poor women sex workers who lack windows of opportunity to escape from their horrid lives where they are imprisoned by pimps and madams of dubious character.
John Alexander, Nagpur

The game shame

Hats off to Arindam Chaudhuri for his editorial on the CWG (TSI, Sept 20-26), by stating that instead of creating such hype around the Commonwealth Games, India should have long ago stopped participating in these slavish games. He is right to endorse the views expressed by Mani Shankar Iyer that instead of spending so much money on the Games we should have made investments to create an environment conducive to world class sports in India. But now when the country, showing its slavish mindset, is hosting the CWG, it might showcase the country’s shortcomings instead of its progress which is a shame indeed because no expenses were spared to make the Games a success. But when a foot over bridge collapsed near the main stadium it was an embarrassment for the country on the global stage. How much more can the nation be shamed by a bunch of bungling sports officials, ministers and government agencies? The Organising Committee cannot escape the blame for the mess it allowed to remain in the Games village at the time of foreign delegations visit. The Games were supposed to showcase India's organisational ability to go with its rising stature on the global stage, as the spectacularly organised Beijing Olympics did for China. At something like Rs 30,000 crore of the taxpayers' money, the Games are the most expensive sports event hosted by India. Certainly an exorbitant price to pay in exchange for shame and disgrace.
Dilbag Rai, Chandigarh
 
Kashmiris should restrain

This refers to your editorial “If BJP plays its cards well...” (TSI, Sept 27- Oct 3). I squarely agree with your exhaustive write-up, the central idea of which is that you cannot make one love you on gun point. Fellow citizens are won over, not conquered. You have virtually covered everything in the article and there is hardly anything left to add to it, but I would like to underline your take on the misuse of Facebook by one beautiful couplet - “Bahut lihaaz muravvat bhi jaan ke dushman hain/ Jahan mein jeena hai toh in mein kuchh kami kar lo.” We have already paid a huge price for our openness in various parts of the country, so it is better to curb it here and now. Because even an immature kid is cajoled with candy only till the time he doesn’t get addicted to it and start keeping his parents on ransom. And in all probability our Kashmiri brothers are mature enough to understand this and accept the restrictions which are essential for their safety and peace.
Rajneesh Batra, New Delhi

Games gone astray

The edit “Instead of creating such hype around Commonwealth Games...” (TSI, Sept 20-26) portrayed the CWG in a different perspective. As pointed out by the author, the Games have become a political drama rather than being a game show. Nowadays, the focus is on the thrift of the host country during the inaugural function of the Games, and not on the sport events. The larger the thrift, the bigger will be the image of the politicians of the host country. At last, only the image will sustain, as the country will be caught in a debt trap soon. This is true for all the sport mega events like Asiad, Olympics, let alone the CWG. What had started out as a means to promote global peace has become a way to exploit the developing nations' resources to arrange a posh party for rich countries.
EA Ibrahim, Vyttila, Kerala

Parents, be careful!

It was heart-rending to go through the article “Baby’s day out….” (TSI, Sept 27- Oct 3). It is disgusting and painful to know nannies making use of the babies for begging on the streets. Such tragedies generally affect the nuclear families where both the husband and the wife are employed and have no one to look after their little ones. Such activities could be well termed as anti-social and criminal. The cunning nanny exploits the family’s helplessness and the same therefore, needs to be condemned. Parents will do well to note that they leave their children in the care of known people.This being a social issue, social activists have a vital role to play in exposing those involved in the misdeeds. It will also be advisable to open new healthy crèches to take care of children and here some of the NGOs can lend a helping hand to open up such establishments. The article underlines the importance and significance of joint families where family members are a source of great help. 
Prem K Menon, Mumbai