It is indeed very difficult to endorse your formulation that both “India and Pakistan intend to continue the composite dialogue with determination” (‘Gentlemen’s agreement’, IE, Sept 10). Your assertion appears accurate only as far as Islamabad is concerned. If India is to defeat Pakistan’s nefarious gameplan in J&K, it has no alternative but to change the nature of the 57-year-old discourse on it, which has been consistently shaped by the aggressor — Pakistan. This discourse is one-sided, with the Indian stand on Kashmir not carrying any conviction with big powers like the US and UK. India has to put pressure on Islamabad by exposing its duplicity on J&K and presenting “Azad Kashmir” and Gilgit Baltistan in the right perspective. Natwar Singh and his team need to exploit Pakistan’s vulnerability by highlighting the plight of the thoroughly marginalised people of PoK. — Hari Om Jammu Britain’s Shikhandi • Yashwant Sinha's inapt comment on the prime minister, reminded me of the British prime minister, Harold Macmillan, who was a Shikhandi of the highest order. He could not reply to a question that the leader of opposition, Harold Wilson, once put to him. Wilson asked, after tabling a photograph in parliament, whether the prime minister recognises the persons depicted in the photograph. If yes, to please explain as to where the security of Great Britain now stands. The photo shows the then war minister, John Profumo, holding Cristine Keeler while drinking in the presence of then Russian ambassador. The question was replied by the Queen, who asked Wilson to form his government after accepting Macmillan’s resignation. — R.K. Pandey Kanpur Bring in experts • I refer to your editorial ‘A future free from shock ’ (IE, Sept 9). The Employees Pension Scheme ’95 is a statutory scheme instituted to fulfill the constitutional requirement of providing social security to the working class. The entire contribution towards the pension scheme is paid by the employer, not by workers as in the case of the new pension scheme for government servants. The EPFO is able to administer the fund and secure compliance from the employers mainly because of the statutory sanction it has. Any attempt either to privatise it will dilute its legal and statutory character, which eventually will result in failure of the scheme. The Central Board of Trustees, EPF, may however bring about reforms in the administration of the pension fund by employing managers and consultants who are experts in the field of investments and securities. — C. Ramesh On e-mail Golden goose • The concept of the public sector was introduced in India by Jawaharlal Nehru for the maximum benefit of the maximum number and to be a model employer. It has to some extent fulfilled the goal of being a model employer. Today, the exploited are exploiting the public sector and killing the golden goose. Bandhs are now more common in the public rather than the private sector. — T. Venkataramanan On e-mail
