Let’s do it

• The present political system in India should change. Democracy has no relevance currently and only means the holding of elections. The common man is exploited in the name of this so-called democracy.

— G.R.H. Rao Bangalore

• Very interesting and eye-opening article. But are we taking any action? We should have clear-cut action plans to change this sorry state of affairs.

— Sumita Dubey Lucknow

No reservations

• The UPA government must be commended for reserving two seats for the disabled in the civil services. The disabled in India are routinely neglected. While all political parties talk of removing discrimination on caste and communal lines, the disabled face some of the worst forms of discrimination.

— Siddhartha R. Guha Jabalpur

Unbelievable

• How can human beings be so callous (‘Relief arrives, then touts take over’, IE, January 5). What does it say about us that we can resort to preying on our own species?

— A. Prabhakar Atlanta

Tripping, again

• Politicians and bureaucrats exploit loopholes in the law at will, but when it comes to giving assistance to the poor and needy who have lost everything, rulebooks and various protocols suddenly acquire relevance (‘Week after killer waves, survivors lost in sea of red tape’, IE, January 4). In this hour of crisis, it is our duty to protect the survivors of the tsunami disaster and treat them with dignity. They have nowhere to go and their needs are so basic.

— Sujith Sidharthan Birmingham

Be prepared

• The Government of India should make provisions for the formation of a disaster management group in each village and town across the country consisting of employees of the state and Central governments and local bodies which can be pressed into action without any delay during a catastrophe like this.

— J. Eden Alexander On e-mail

Red theories

• It is amusing to read the comments in the CPM’s mouthpiece (‘CPM spins its own tsunami story on BJP’, IE, January 4). It exposes their doublespeak.

— K.P. Pandit Pune