‘I am a lost man looking for a cause’

Your stand on Iraq is much appreciated. But how come you don’t take such a vocal stand on the Bollywood-underworld nexus?K.R.M. Rao
The Bollywood-underworld nexus is an over blown media manufactured ‘‘reality’’. It is true that some of the key players of Bollywood have been playing footsie with the mob. But to put the entire film industry in the dock and to infer that each one of us has a secret bond with the bhais is stupid. Yes, Bollywood was on a denial mode for a long time and has only recently come to terms with its hediousness.

Let me unhesitantly say that since 1997 I have been communicating to the key leaders of our country about the growing menace of the underworld in the Bombay film industry. The reason for not being too vocal about my stand is too obvious. I was told by the police authorities to remain quiet.

How hopeful are you of getting a visa for Iraq?Rohan Naik
With the fast changing scenario and the collapse of the Saddam regime, the visas which were issued by the Republic of Iraq are invalid. We cannot travel to that part of the world on these documents. And now, since America is bragging to the world on the hour by flashing images of Saddam’s statue being demolished in Baghdad, the international law compels the US and the Coalition Forces to look after the law and order and the well-being of the people they have invaded.

It is absurd that we hand over the aid which was generated from the people of India to the US or the Coalition Forces who have inflicted the wounds on the people of Baghdad in the first place. Maybe we will have to wait for a UN-supported organisation to emerge, one whose credibility cannot be questioned, in order to hand over the aid that we have collected from the people of India.

Today, Bush seems to have become more dangerous than Saddam. So why haven’t our human rights activists spoken till now? There are very few who’ve taken a firm stand in India.Vishwanath B. Karkera
You are right. This world will be destroyed by the likes of George W. Bush and Tony Blair who are the ones who really have weapons of mass destruction and not by the Saddams and the Osama bin Ladens whose tools of warfare are merely human bombs.

The world needs to stand up against Bush and his poodle Blair, but the tragedy is that protest marches and human rights’ activists do not even make a dent in the consciousness of these power-drunk war-mongerers. Only brute force can handle brute force, and not the empty talk of love thy neighbour as thy self.

What makes you, a member of the rich and famous, want to go to Iraq?Shiv Kumar
I am a lost man looking for a cause. I am merely supporting the Red Crescent NGO in raising humanitarian aid for the battered people of Iraq. Though I wish one could do something to prevent them from getting mauled and maimed in the first place. But I guess individually one cannot do anything and all collective action means war.