Letters To The Editor

— Kedarnath Aiyar Mumbai

• THE editorial,‘God and state’ (June 30), is courageous. Even on TV, one can see this year’s lingam in Amarnath was made of snow whereas it has been of solid ice formed naturally by the dripping water from the roof of the cave. As to the case of Sabarimala, it is a shame for a state that boasts the highest literacy, gender equality and, above all, having a Marxist government. Lord Ayyappa is a brahmachari, who abstains from sex. Being a brahmachari does not mean one cannot be touched by one’s mother, daughter or sister. Even Kerala’s fiery feminists dare not speak out against gender discrimination at Sabarimala fearing populist outrage.

—N. Kunju Delhi

Defending GoI

• RAJA MOHAN (‘Winners still in denial’ and ‘For Delhi, devil isn’t…’, IE, June 29), seems to be a valiant crusader for the Indo-US nuclear deal. He says “India is unlikely to be distracted by the intrusive language in the nuclear legislation approved” by the US House Committee. Some questions trouble me as, I am sure, they do many others. Why is Manmohan Singh silent except for mouthing the meaningless slogan that he will never sacrifice India’s interests? Is he not sacrificing, as the Opposition fears, India’s long-term strategic interests in promoting the deal? Why does the government not engage its elected representatives in an open parliamentary debate on the issue instead of awaiting with bated breath the outcome of the legislative debate in the US? A case of non-application of mind on our part!

— R. Venkatanarayanan Noida

Left, right, middle

• I THINK I will now have to vote for the Left parties in all the coming elections, instead of the BJP, because they are faithful to their voters. The lower middle class, the majority of the Indian population (and voters) is their base. They never follow such policies as will harm their voters. They are also faithful to their original principles, policies. Moreover, the lifestyle of even their top leaders is simple and down to earth. They do not fall for posh bungalows, nor demand a Mercedes on getting elected. They are concerned with their countrymen, not their relatives. Unfortunately, the BJP lost power suddenly, because it wanted to remain in power forever by hook or by crook. The Congress, of course, is a dab hand at it.

— Hansraj Bhat Mumbai

Error

• A SMALL error has crept into my article, ‘Women in uniform are valued’ (IE, June 28), at the editing stage. A sentence that read “Neither Swaraj nor Vyas have been able to convince their own parties to give adequate representation to women in the army” should read as “Neither Swaraj nor Vyas have been able to convince their own parties to give adequate representation to women in the Parliament”.

— V.P. Malik Chandigarh