Letters To The Editor

Prosecution8217;s brief8226; YOUR editorial, 8216;Wrong De Basanti8217; IE, November 6 is unexceptionable in terms of sheer logic. An...

Prosecution8217;s brief

8226; YOUR editorial, 8216;Wrong De Basanti8217; IE, November 6 is unexceptionable in terms of sheer logic. And it is precisely for this reason that Ram Jethmalani gets away with his tantrums on TV. Nor can one find fault with your carefully worded arguments against any popular movement 8220;arrogating to itself the right to become a part of institutional proceedings8221; so as not to be a precedent for the future. Having said that, there is another important aspect on which you could have been more explicit. Namely, what redress exists within the institutional process itself for undoing the 8220;gross injustice8221; perpetrated on society by the faulty judgment in the Jessica case? What seems to be a standard failing in such sad episodes is that even the police, which one hopes is part of the institution, pleads 8220;helplessness8221;!, with its members at different levels succumbing to pressures from the high and the mighty in abetting the miscarriage of justice. If no immediate remedy is in sight, perhaps as a last resort the prosecution should seriously consider employing legal experts like Mr Jethmalani to present their case more effectively, before the likes of Manu Sharma get hold of them.

8212; A.N. Mitra , Delhi

Pranab on Iraq

8226; C. RAJA MOHAN 8216;India reacts, could end up rubbing US, Iran and Iraq the wrong way8217;, IE, November 6 has correctly portrayed the UPA government8217;s 8220;deepening diplomatic contradictions in the Gulf8221;, as reflected in its reaction to the death sentence awarded to Saddam Hussein.The wise course for External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee would have been to be discreet and not rush with ill-advised comments. At any rate, who are we to judge the credibility of 8220;the due process of law in Iraq8221;? Do we follow the same criterion in our own country? The US has blundered in Iraq with its invasion and the ouster of Saddam Hussein. But at present Iraq has an elected government and the judicial process for the 8220;ruthless dictator8221; Saddam8217;s trial, which lasted for one year, was 8220;fair8221;.

8212; M. Ratan , New Delhi

Saddam8217;s trial

8226; THE death sentence awarded to Saddam Hussein and his accomplices on the Dujail killings is deplorable, keeping in mind the prejudices and biases of the trial court. The trial, being part of the puppet regime of Noori-al Maliki, can8217;t be termed fair. The date of the death sentence was deliberately set, keeping the US Congressional election in mind, to benefit the Republicans. Undeniably, Saddam perpetrated atrocities on his people, for which he should be prosecuted; but the trial could have been fairer if it was conducted in an international court of justice.

8212; Nakshab Khan, Aligarh

Poor show

8226; A DECISION should be taken by all sports bodies, like the BCCI, that only professional sports channels should be given telecast rights for major events. Set Max had made a hash of telecasting the recently completed Champions Trophy. The BCCI should not fall into the temptation of backing the highest bidder without going into the expertise of the bidder. The Set Max telecast of the Champions

Trophy missed the first ball of a new over because of advertising in the break continuing. We had situations where, at the end of an over, if a slow motion replay was being shown, the ads kept cutting it off. The biggest gaffe was in one of the matches when a wicket fell in the fourth ball of the over and the ads continued right through into a new over. It was a poor show, indeed.

8212; S. Kamat, Alto Betim