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Journalism of Courage
8226;You have very rightly advised the UPA government to make China understand in quite unmistakable terms how decent democracies work 8216;Carry the flame8217;, . However, the real issue here is not just the Tibetan protests. The blunder committed by India in acknowledging Tibet as a part of China, in total disregard for Tibet8217;s history, created perpetual problems not only for the Tibetans but also for India.
But unfortunately, the UPA depends heavily on the Indian communists. Therefore, it is doubtful whether the UPA will be able to take a stand against China. As a matter of fact, India must take the lead in the boycott of the Beijing Olympics. That is the only language the Chinese and their Indian comrades would understand.
8212; A.K. Sharma
dated democracy
8226;The arrest of Maharashtra8217;s election commissioner, Nand Lal, on the orders of the Maharashtra state legislature, compels one to declare that we are not a constitutional democracy but a political dictatorship 8216;Out of jail, Maharashtra poll official moves high court8217;,. The provision for legislative privileges in the Indian Constitution is a mockery of parliamentary democracy.
These privileges were made in the Britain of yore by an emergent, and vulnerable, parliament struggling to defend itself against a powerful and still dominant monarchy. The fathers of the Indian Constitution borrowed this unwarranted provision, ignoring the fact that India had no monarch but a nominal president, elected by the Parliament and constitutionally bound to go by the advice of the government of the day.
8212; M.C. Joshi
Encore, Viru?
8226;Virendra Sehwag8217;s brilliant triple hundred has silenced most of his critics, including the Indian ODI skipper M.S. Dhoni 8216;OnlyViru could do it again8217;,. Sehwag8217;s triple century was the fastest in Test cricket. Besides, he is also only the third player after Don Bradman and Brian Lara to score triple hundreds twice. Sehwag8217;s has scored more than 150 runs in his last 10 centuries in Tests. This too is world record. Indian cricket fans should be proud of Viru8217;s performance.
8212; S.N. Kabra
Fair pay
8226; The Sixth Pay Commission8217;s recommendations have proved that the defence forces are neglected in terms of monetary benefits. However, the new recommendations will widen the existing disparity in pay between the forces and the civil services. The reluctance of today8217;s youth to join the forces can be attributed to the poor pay. When India is faced with a shortage of quality officers, the incentive of salary hikes could have worked wonders.
It is the moral responsibility of the nation as a whole to compensate the soldier adequately for the risks he takes.
8212;Pachu Menon
Goa
About time, George
8226;Speaking on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war and the almost simultaneous milestone of the 4000th American casualty in Iraq, George W. Bush said that, after three decades of the suppression of freedom in Iraq and the Middle East, the United States has embarked on a democratic project there. These oft repeated words of the US president will not become noble in intent unless he delivers on his promise. However, his administration has failed to do so despite five years in Iraq. Even worse, Afghanistan is nowhere near proper democracy either.
8212; S. Kamat Goa
