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Journalism of Courage
Why must anyone make such a big issue of the collapse of the case against Mohammed Taslimuddin? How is it more scandalous than the entire state government being handed over to the wife of a former chief minister when he was required to go to jail for fraud and corruption? Now we have even been told that the CM never visits the secretariat and conducts the state business from her house/kitchen! When this can be tolerated by the people and the 8220;alert8221; media and consequently the public, what is so great about Taslimuddin8217;s case being withdrawn by the Bihar government?
8212; M.K. Ahamed Bangalore
Younger, stronger
8226; It8217;s high time the Communist party organised the youth in a totally new manner, because it is a common notion in the youth today that the party is the abode of veterans. It is the work of youth leaders like Sitaram Yechury to organise SFI workshops in the whole country and to make the communist movement a real success.
8212; Nachiketa On e-mail
So many ills
8226; Isn8217;t it enough that we Indians must face the daily adversities of communalism, casteism, terrorism, regionalism, vandalism? Now Manipur brings home to us that we must add to that list militarism or terror by military forces.
8212; Amit K. Mevaty Bharatpur
A titan goes
8226; I am deeply anguished by news of Prof Hiren Mukherjee8217;s death. Having personally interacted with him in the 8217;70s, when as leader of the CPI in the Lok Sabha, he was staying at Gurudwara Rakabganj Road, I found him not only extremely humane and helpful but also scintillating in his scholarship. In the murky world of Indian politics, there was never a whisper of suspicion about his personal or public life. Modest and self-effacing to a fault, Prof Mukherjee after retirement from active politics maintained an extremely low profile reminding me of Charles Lamb8217;s observation that 8216;8216;Goodness blows no trumpet, nor desires to have it blown8217;8217;. Coming after the demise of Namboodiripad, the death of Prof Mukherjee marks a watershed in the Indian polity. The race of leftist titans has become extinct.
8212; D.C. Saxena Delhi
Father8217;s tip
8226; Some time ago your reporter, Amba Batra, interviewed a father who stated, 8220;With a son going to IIT, I don8217;t need to plan for my old age. He will look after us.8221; This is a telling belief, commonly held. However, the reality is far more complex. We now have pathetic stories of old fathers who live life on the edge, without pension or savings. Over-stretched, over-strained, they can only turn their eyes to the heavens and pray for the health and welfare of their sons, many of whom are indeed flourishing in choice locations abroad or at home and who enjoy lavish lifestyles. Clearly, with the advance of modernity and westernisation, the situation for the elderly in this country is only going to get worse. Therefore, I would caution against the complacency inherent in statements like that mentioned in Batra8217;s story. People need to see which way the wind is blowing. The earlier they do it, the better.
8212; G.L. Zutshi New Delhi
