Defence disorders

• George Fernandes is possibly right in asserting that he was not involved in the purchase of the exhorbita...

• George Fernandes is possibly right in asserting that he was not involved in the purchase of the exhorbitantly expensive imported coffins for Kargil martyrs. But then, as a defence minister during whose tenure this happened, he must reveal to Parliament those responsible. He continues to state that the entire Tehelka expose was vague and fictituous and has not been able to explain the intelligence failure that led to the Kargil war. These are only a few instances of his mismanagement of the defence minister’s portfolio.

— B.N. Pathak Caranzalem,

Goa Keep silent

• In the interests of peace, it would be good for Natwar Singh and Shivraj Patil to get into silent mode (‘No troops to Iraq, no strings to Pak’, IE, June 2). Let them not spoil what A.B. Vajpayee achieved. Many things in life are destroyed by talking too much. The Congress has constantly criticised Vajpayee, but what these two gentlemen are doing is not an enhancement of what has been achieved, but a slow destruction. The climate on the subcontinent has changed for the better. Don’t take us back to the past.

— Ramesh Lahoti On e-mail

Unconvincing defence

• The PM’s defence of chargesheeted persons as ministers in his government, citing the strictly legalistic principle that a person is assumed to be innocent until proved guilty, is wholly unconvincing. Do government rules permit the appointment of chargesheeted persons to any post under the government? If not, then why make a departure in the case of ministers? The governing principle in such cases should be “no appointment of chargesheeted persons until acquitted of the charges”. Such an approach is necessary to give a new direction to Indian polity. Corruption and criminology of politics are the gravest menaces India is suffering from. No programme of economic development or poverty alleviation will succeed until these maladies are eliminated with a determined will and a firm hand.

— K.L. Davar New Delhi

Wrong, wrong, wrong

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• It is absolutely wrong to give D. Maran the telecom and IT ministry, where he will have to sit in judgement on the affairs of an industry in which he has a substantial stake (‘Cable guy faces cross-connection’, IE, June 2). M. Karunanidhi will be happy to have him there since it benefits the family fiefdom but the prime minister should have his porfolio changed.

— Manumidas On e-mail

Let’s talk

• The suggestion to organise a dialogue between shining India and rural Bharat was excellent (‘Bring Bharat into the discourse’, IE, June 1). However, as the writer points out, “there are those in power whose political motives run counter to this notion of democracy and who devote their blood, sweat and money to ensure that channels of communication between the two Indias remain closed”. But the poll results indicate that Bharat now feels empowered to overthrow those who don’t listen. It is time, then, for the world’s largest democracy to encourage a truly democratic “crosstalk” among its citizens.

— Kirtidev Bhatt On e-mail

As India bids adieu to MiG-21s, what lies ahead for Air Force?

As India bids farewell to MiG-21, what lies ahead for the Air Force?

Explained22 min ago

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has retired its long-serving MiG-21 fighter jets, reducing its already low number of fighter squadrons. Despite its successful track record since 1963, the MiG-21 has faced challenges with its engines, leading to crashes and deaths. To replenish its squadrons, the IAF intends to introduce a mix of domestic and foreign fighter jets.

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