By the timer

8226; The BJP and other parties in the NDA are agitated over the timing of Justice Banerjee8217;...

8226; The BJP and other parties in the NDA are agitated over the timing of Justice Banerjee8217;s interim report on Godhra, but what8217;s wrong with the timing? Did not the Sangh Parivar use the Godhra incident for political purposes during the Gujarat elections?

8212; Bidyut K. Chatterjee Faridabad

8226; Now that the truth is out in the open with the submission of Justice Banerjee8217;s report, the country needs to debate the merits and demerits of the findings. The report clearly states that the fire in Sabarmati Express at Godhra station on that fateful day was an accident. This is contrary to the propaganda spread by the BJP and the VHP. The Supreme Court should prosecute those people who made hate speeches after the Godhra incident.

8212; Pranav Sachdeva New Delhi

Motivated?

8226; Politicians milked Ayodhya 1992 for ten years in their electoral battles and for the last three years it is Godhra-Gujarat 2002. Laloo Prasad Yadav has always been saying what the Banerjee Commission has said in its 8220;interim8221; report. Apprehensions that the commission set up by the UPA government on the instance of the railway minister was aimed at giving legitimacy to Laloo8217;s accusations against the Sangh Parivar, Gujarat government and the then railway minister, Nitish Kumar, one of Yadav8217;s main political rivals in Bihar, appear to have come true. The report has raised more questions than it answers and there is no doubt that its timing best serves the electoral interests of Laloo Yadav.

8212; M.C. Joshi Mumbai

Tomorrow8217;s promise

8226; Your editorial 8216;An Asian Century?8217; January 17 spotlights the CIA8217;s prediction that India and China will dominate the 21st century and correctly points out that, as far as India is concerned, there is many a slip between the cup and the lip. We have a very large number of poor, illiterate and unemployed people who need to be brought within the loop of economic reform and growth. We need a state genuinely committed to its citizens8217; overall well-being. We need a set of national ideals we are committed to. Otherwise, the CIA8217;s prognostication will turn out to be a false prophecy.

8212; Vinod Chowdhury Delhi

Hold the fire

8226; The firing by Pakistani troops from across the Line of Control on Indian positions in the Poonch sector is an irresponsible act. It comes at a time when the Indian and Pakistani governments are trying hard to improve bilateral ties.

8212;Mudassir Alam Aligarh

Just a sec

8226; In the article 8216;The Tsunami learning curve8217; IE, January 1, Vasant Gowariker maintains that 8220;for a country of India8217;s size and scale a meagre allotment of 0.65 per cent of GDP for science and technology is literally a cruel joke8221;. Actually, the R038;D/GNP ratio has increased from 0.86 per cent to 1.1 per cent in 8217;02-8217;03 and is expected to have reached 1.15 per cent in 8217;03-8217;04.

8212; A. Parthsarathi New Delhi