It was protocol

My attention has been drawn to an item in the weekly column on page 3 of The Indian Express on August 18.

8226; My attention has been drawn to an item in the weekly column on page 3 of The Indian Express on August 18. I wish to say that there is no truth in the story. The minister for sports, M.S. Gill, gave no suggestion of any kind to me and my family about who we should call on in New Delhi on Abhinav Bindra8217;s arrival. All we were doing was maintaining the country8217;s protocol; the ministers and all officers of the ministry of sports ensured Abhinav8217;s warm welcome and coordinated the programme of meeting dignitaries. The occasion was very big, and the ministry had to celebrate it with pride. I would sincerely request you to clarify our views in your esteemed paper.

8212; A.S. Bindra

Mohali

Neighbour to the west

8226; This refers to your leader, 8216;Rangila raj8217;. It is this country8217;s misfortune that our leadership is notorious for procrastinating. It is deplorable that no one in a responsible position sees that we are putting terrible strain on our security forces stationed in Jammu and Kashmir. Moreover, we don8217;t demonstrate that we can be tough with our western neighbour, which plays no small role in promoting instability in that part of the country. When will the country8217;s polity wake up to this menace and stop being so indecisive?

8212; Prasad Malladi

Nidadavole, AP

Yatra as Hajj

8226; Your editorial 8216;Rangila raj8217; is a good analysis of the government8217;s delusion in dealing with the current volatile situation in Kashmir. The best option now is to take an honest decision on the matter keeping the best interests of the people of India in mind. Amarnath yatra deserves the same approach as the Hajj pilgrimage. Separatists and troublemakers must be dealt with as per the laws of the land. Then, people will support the government.

8212; H.S. Gur Hisar

Durand cup of woes

8226; With reference to C. Raja Mohan8217;s article, 8216;The other line of control8217;, our obsession with the line of control which separates the Indian border from Pakistan has made us myopic about the significance of the Durand Line, which separates Pakistan from Afghanistan, especially when Al-Qaeda and Afghani and Pakistani Taliban formations use it as a sanctuary and a recruiting ground for jihadis. Even if India changes the contours of its foreign policy, it cannot change the ground reality emanating from the Durand Line, especially in post-Musharaff Pakistan, which will be, as usual, running many horses at once.

8212; John Alexander Nagpur

Ready to win?

8226; This refers to the op-ed piece, 8216;State of play8217;. Every four years, we do ritual mourning over our poor performance in sports while eulogising the individual efforts at the Olympics. The media carries identical reports on the lack of government planning and misuse of resources. Instead of going back into hibernation for four years, it is time we created infrastructure of international standards. If we are sincere, there is no reason why the three medals from the 2008 Olympics should not turn into 30 in 2012.

8212; Ved Guliani Hisar

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