'Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi are a boon to India'

Public Must Help "With the police claiming to have made headway in the Gulshan Kumar case, what's now needed is the cooperation of the public to nail the guilty." -Mani Natarajan,ChennaiVicious CircleNadeem may or may not be guilty of conspiring to murder cassette king Gulshan Kumar, but it cannot be disputed that the curtain has risen on an unholy nexus between the film world and the mafia ("Suspect No. 1", September 29). It's a vicious circle involving a lust for power, money and fame: the high cost of film-making has producers running to the dons, the underworld provides ready help but also makes sure it extracts a price from them at a later date.Ashwini K. Malhotra, LudhianaShifting the BlameWhen so much public money is being spent on providing security to politicians and bureaucrats - who are actually responsible for the mess in Assam - blaming tea companies for funding militants is absurd ("Storm in a Tea Garden", September 29). The Government is just shifting responsibility to cover up its failure in checking the militants. By taking action against a tea company which did not get adequate security, it has given an indirect fillip to those subversive elements.Mehul Kamdar, ChennaiDream TeamLeander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi are a boon to India ("Dr Serve, Mr Volley", September 29). Thanks to their fine fettle, Indian tennis is passing through its best phase ever. One can only hope that the dream team continues to work its magic.S.N. Kabra, MumbaiHollow ClaimB.M. Oza quotes Mani Shankar Aiyar's view that Bofors did not need to bribe anyone when its gun was second to none and the price was competitive ("Bofors Backfire", September 29). There seems to be some creative thinking accompanied by a convenient amnesia in this matter. There is no "best" gun. There may be some more suitable than the others depending upon the criteria - financial and operational - set for the selection of the gun. Herein lies the creativity. The amnesia is not only convenient but titanic in its scope. Till the time the contract was signed to supply the FH-77B field gun to the Indian Army, only two armies in the world had used it: one was the host country, Sweden's, the other was Nigeria's.Partho Datta, Calcutta"The BSP's conditions to vacate the state office in Uttar Pradesh were like those of the proverbial tenant. One wonders how the new tenant (BJP) will fare." Prabir N. Banerji, MeerutMyopic VisionThe BJP has been very myopic in getting into an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Uttar Pradesh ("Tasks Before Kalyan", September 29). Despite the vituperative statements made against the party by BSP supremo Kanshi Ram, the BJP seems to have swallowed its pride just to come to power. The party was a mute spectator - rather an accomplice - to Mayawati's wanton ways and in no time its so-called nationalistic, cadre-based image has been tarnished. It is unlikely that the alliance will last its term. How long can Kalyan Singh continue to act as per the dictates of the BSP?S.K. Shah, DelhiThe political merry-go-round in Uttar Pradesh is indeed very comic. First it was the BSP and Samajwadi Party (SP) vs the BJP. Then it is the BSP and the BJP vs the SP. The circle will perhaps be complete when the BJP and the SP come together to checkmate the BSP's growing power in the state. That's coalition politics for you. Col (Retd) A.M. Gnanakan, Belgaum Backing BhaskaruduIndustry Minister Murasoli Maran's statement that Maruti can do without Suzuki ("Till Court Do Us Part", September 29) throws up one pertinent question: is R.S.S.L.N. Bhaskarudu so indispensable to Maruti Udyog that the Government is prepared to give up its partnership with the world-renowned motor company to retain him? We should not forget that the company is in an enviable position today because of Suzuki's technological inputs and expertise.Surendra Moodliar, PuneLopsided PrioritiesUnion railway minister Ram Vilas Paswan has made a mistake by putting developmental works in his constituency before safety on the tracks ("Losing Track'', September 29). With an accident almost every fortnight, should he not share the blame for the mishaps instead of conveniently making his general managers the scapegoats? Doesn'the realise that ensuring safe rail travel would also be beneficial to the Dalits?K.S. Gopala krishnan,MumbaiPandering to the PowerfulWhile the united front administration succumbed to the pressure tactics of Central government employees ("Costly Settlement", September 22), the manner in which it is seeking to exploit the unorganised sector to raise funds for the extra expenditure deserves strong condemnation. By raising the foreign-travel tax, the Government is punishing non-resident Indian labourers who make up the major segment of foreign travellers from India. Such a policy clearly amounts to a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.P. Sudhakaran,BahrainMany BiographiesI would like to clarify that while my 1992 biography of Mother Teresa was written with her full cooperation and blessing, I was inaccurately described in your footnote as her official biographer ("Touch the Poor", September 15). There have been several biographies before and after mine, which were also written with her permission.Navin Chawla,Chairman, Delhi Vidyut Board, DelhiSlanderous ReviewSanjay Subrahmanyam's review ofAkbar and His India, edited by Irfan Habib, was astounding ("The Emperor's New Clothes", September 8). The article does justice neither to his well-orchestrated scholarship nor to the work. The review, full of vendetta and personalised venom, does not speak well of your magazine's credentials. Maybe you are not keen to carry serious and scholarly academic contributions and, therefore, Subrahmanyam may have preferred to play to the gallery. Is it because the reviewer shares with you a definite abhorrence for India's pluralistic and composite heritage?K.M. Shrimali,Delhi"Paswan is talking big about holding high-ranking officials responsible for accidents. How about beginning with himself?"P. Kesharwani, BhopalIf the reviewer wishes to settle scores with the author or give vent to his rancour, he should look for a different forum.Shama Mitra Chenoy, DelhiUntrue RemarkI have read with some amazement your Authorspeak ("Path Finder", October 6). This is an interview with the writer Sarayu Ahuja which contains some discussion of her recent book Where the Streets Lead and her future work plans. As such, it is an excellent piece, but the text also informs readers that I am living with the lady.Journalists, mediapersons, and indeed many people whom we have jointly interviewed for past and forthcoming work know that Mrs Ahuja and I are friends and literary collaborators and that we have worked for some years as a team. They are as amazed as I am by the statement you have made that we also live together.Mrs Ahuja lives with her husband and their two children in their home, and I live in mine. We both happen to inhabit the same city, but if that fact is to be interpreted in this fashion, I also live with rather more than 10 million other people.But your extraordinary and wholly untrue remark has caused us both great embarrassment and even some damage, and I would strongly advise that your journal, which I have read, admired, respected and occasionally written for since its inception, should at least apologise for what seems to me a quite inadmissible mistake.Dom Moraes, MumbaiWe regret the error.Editor Published By: AtMigration Published On: Oct 13, 1997 00:00 IST--- ENDS ---

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'Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi are a boon to India'

"With the police claiming to have made headway in the Gulshan Kumar case, what's now needed is the cooperation of the public to nail the guilty."

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