Great Karachi crowd

Irfan is our sher

8226; Quoting Dharmendra from Ilaaka: 8220;Ilaaka kutte billiyon ka hota hai, Sher jahan bhi jaata hai ilaaka usi ka ho jaata hai8221;8230;.Javed Miandadji, our Irfan has truly emerged a lion 8216;Irfantastic Dad8217;s message to Miandad: Gali ke ladke ne hi wicket lekar dikhaya8217;, IE, March 25.

8212; Krishnan On e-mail

Rethinking perks

8226; Indian democracy is taking its citizens for a ride. Look at the number of ex-prime ministers and ex-presidents who, after 8216;serving8217; the people, are now enjoying costly comforts at public expense. There are now five in the former category and and two in the latter. While, as in the case of any ex-civil servant, there is nothing against their drawing their retirement monetary benefits, the way they are being provided perks like security cover, conveyance, and so on, is a big drain on the public exchequer. We need to rethink this.

8212; O.Mathai Thiruvananthapuram

Silly stance

8226; Despite the news clarifying the US State Department8217;s stand that the granting of of non-NATO status will not have any impact on America8217;s good and close relationship with India, the Congress spokesperson continues to criticise the NDA government and states that the hype generated by the NDA government that India and the USA are natural allies is unfounded 8216;Pak ally status won8217;t affect India ties: US8217;, IE, March 20. He wants the PM to explain if he was informed beforehand about this move. I think no government worth its salt would be able to divulge details in such a sensitive matter beforehand. US officials have been quoted as saying that 8220;this is not something that we cared to advertise before8221;.

8212; Subhash Baru Jammu Tawi

Bihar8217;s Muslims

8226; Apropos of Verghese K. George8217;s report on the Muslim-Yadav combination in Bihar IE, March 19 I would like to correct a factual inaccuracy. During the Laloo era, since 1989, there have been many communal riots in Bihar, particularly during 1992-93, and later major ones at Sitamarhi and Sherghati but what distinguishes the Laloo regime is his immediate personal intervention to control the violence. His appeal in this aspect has not diminished. What irks the Muslim voters now is that they are yet to receive their due share in public employment, even at the level of constables, clerks, typists and in other non-gazetted posts as well as the lack of Urdu-medium primary schools and of facilities for the teaching of Urdu as the first language in secondary schools, at least in those areas that has a concentration of Muslims. But with all his shortcomings, the Muslims of Bihar largely see no alternative but to vote for Laloo8217;s RJD.

8212; Syed Shahabuddin Delhi