General facts

One had thought that at least the think-tanks and intelligentsia in Pakistan had their heads on their shoulders. But here we h...

One had thought that at least the think-tanks and intelligentsia in Pakistan had their heads on their shoulders. But here we have an official as senior as director general, Institute of Strategic Studies, Pakistan, who also views all the ills of Pakistan through a myopic prism and blames India for everything 8216;Pakistan: The siege within and without8217;, IE, October 9. The author compares the Israel-Syria situation with the Indo-Pak situation, similarly US failure to establish peace in Afghanistan and the inability to stamp out the Al-Qaeda is linked to hot pursuit by India into PoK.

Pakistan needs to 8220;see within8221;. It is a failed state by all standards which is living on the intravenous drip administered by the World Bank and the US. The percentage of people living below the poverty line there has more than doubled between 1988 to 2003. Its impoverished population rose to 33 per cent in 1999 from 17 per cent in 1988. Furthermore, the madrassas have become breeding grounds for terrorism. Thus, it8217;s not a case of Pakistan being a whipping boy for frustrated India, but a case of frustrated Pak having little control over its domestic situation and blaming
India for everything.
8212; Chhaya Ambike Delhi

Who8217;s he kidding?

Apropos of 8216;Hindutva rate of growth8217; IE, October 13, when Madhavrao Scindia was asked a few years ago about the achievements of the Congress government for the better part of India8217;s independence, all he could come up with was 8220;at least we are still a democracy8221;. First there were experiments with Nehruvian socialism, and then Indira Gandhi8217;s nationalism. Finally it took someone other than 8220;India8217;s First Family8221; as Mani Shankar Aiyar likes to call the Gandhis to bring about Indian awakening. However, Narasimha Rao has been relegated to the dustbin in Aiyar8217;s own party! Now to counter the point he makes about the Indian economy not really growing. Manmohan Singh has himself lauded the BJP government8217;s achievements in the economy. Things are not all rosy, but it is ridiculous to say that the Congress was way better.
8212; Santhosh, On e-mail

Non-issue

It is surprising that Sharad Pawar, who was for many years was a staunch Congressman and even worked for a year and half under Sonia Gandhi8217;s presidentship, is now raking up the issue of her origin. On this issue the Supreme Court of India has already ruled in favour of Sonia Gandhi, so it is a non-issue now.

It may also be stated that persons of Indian origin have held the position of head of government in foreign countries such as Fiji and Guiana. Then take the case of the wife of our former president, K.R. Narayanan. Although a foreign national at birth, she assumed Indian nationality by marriage and her husband rose to occupy the country8217;s top-most post.
8212; Mahindar Singh, New Delhi

Can8217;t trust him

Kalyan Singh is in politics to have his kalyan with money. He cannot be trusted anymore as he flip-flops as per the situation 8216;1992 mandir poster boy gets his face read the night before8217;, IE, October 14.
8212; Dilip Patel, On e-mail