• America's grand design is to checkmate India with Pakistan and checkmate China through India (‘US gives Pak F-16s, India gets F-16s plus plus’, IE, March 26). That’s why it’s bending its laws to sell F-16s to Pakistan, while offering to sell the same to India. US needs Pakistan to carry out its dirty work and Pakistan is only too happy to oblige (for a reward)! US does what suits its national interest. India should do the same and consider only the US offer for civilian nuclear technology. — Nilanjan On e-mail • This F-16 deal reminds me of the olden days when gladiators fought and killed each other for the amusement of emperors. — V. Prasad Chennai • When it comes to Pakistan, the US is always hypocritical. On the one hand, it will talk about bans on countries who support terrorism; on other, it continues arming them with F-16s! — Navita Bangalore • The decision is a business one, in order to help Lockheed Martin survive. To compensate for the political fallout, the US has offered India a broader package. This is a recognition of the growth of the Indian economy as well as its science and technology. However, the package offered has limitations. If crucial components are under the control of the US government, it will use them for greater political leverage. — Indiresha Ramachandra On e-mail • India should not shy away from its traditional suppliers like Russia and France. However, what India could safely acquire from the US are the Patriot Missile Defence F-18s equipped with Israeli Arrow Missile Defence. — Sharma Hyderabad • Britain did it earlier and the US is doing it now: divide and rule. We need to counter the US’s ‘Divide and Rule’ with ‘Unite and Stand Tall’. — Deepak Nagar Chennai One-sided • Your editorial, ‘The Holiday-makers’ (IE, March 24) was one-sided. While the sole motive of the private sector is to make profit, PSUs have social commitments enforced by the government. That is precisely why the private insurance companies refuse to underwrite the loss-making motor insurance business, where PSU insurance companies are compelled to provide Third Party insurance cover to all vehicles. Even with such compulsions, PSU insurance companies/ banks have been making huge profits and contributing substantially to the government exchequer. It is not proper to compare the average business transacted by an employee in the private companies and the PSU. The private sector has comparatively few offices, and they are invariably located in cities, whereas the PSUs, in order to fulfill their social commitments, have offices in every nook and corner. You have also stated that the public are moving away from the PSUs to private companies. True, they did this earlier, impressed by the posh offices and publicity blitz of private players. However, it is our experience that a number of our clients who had left have come back to us after being treated shabbily. So there is no need to anticipate a permanent downing of shutters. Regarding the increase in salary, it is established practice to have wage revisions at regular intervals, taking into consideration factors like the cost of living, etc. In the case of PSU insurance companies, the wage revision was due in August ’02. Having waited for more than two and a half years, the employees were forced to go on strike. — Israel K. Mani Manager, National Insurance Company Ltd Pune
