• This refers to your editorial, ‘Now or never?’. Your persistent effort to champion the cause of the Indo-US nuclear deal is showing good effect on the Congress and its allies. However, what frustrates the nation most is the flimsy grounds on which the Left and the BJP are opposing it and thereby misguiding the nation.We must understand clearly that America’s nuclear relations with India, at present, are guided by US’s Atomic Energy Act of 1954. Stoppage of fuel supply to Tarapore atomic reactor after Pokharan I in May 1974 and imposition of sanctions after Pokharan II in May 1998 were done under that act. Could this act stop the NDA government from testing nuclear devices in 1998? The deal removes certain restrictions for the US to enjoy nuclear cooperation with India and it imposes certain obligations on the US president to ascertain certain conditions. We will be as much bound by the Hyde Act as we were bound by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, not more.— H.S. Gur Hisar Plain treason?• Your arguments in the leader, ‘Now or never’, as well as the ones made in the past few days in support of the deal offer eminently sensible advice. You are also right to point out the almost treasonable behaviour of the CPM. It is more than obvious now, as it has always been, that the Left’s intransigence suits only China. China is perhaps the Indian Left’s real master, and the former is the one big global power that is determined to scupper India’s entry into the nuclear club.— Lakshman Pardhanani Dona Paula, GoaNuke threat• The plain talk by our communists betrays their hypocrisy. CPM leader M.K. Pandhe has cautioned Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, telling him to either join them (the Left) and oppose the IAEA deal or favour it and lose the votes of Muslims, who are also against the deal. How can he unilaterally take it for granted that Muslims are against the deal? Whence Pandhe’s uncanny insight into the mind of the average Indian Muslim?— V.E. Venkataramani BangaloreWild mates• The mingling of Indian and Nepali rhinos across the border was great news for all wildlife enthusiasts . The valuable green landscapes and corridors between the two habitats definitely help the migration and cross-breeding of such animals, which makes for genetically stronger offspring of the species. Africa is a rich treasurer of all types of wild animals, which regularly migrate from one country to another through such traditional green corridors. It is true that the animals respect no international boundaries as we do.— Nagesh TekaleMumbai
