Letters To The Editor

Pals, nor rivals8226; This refers to Printline 'India and China: friends and rivals' IE, November 23. Notwithstanding the Chinese preside...

Pals, nor rivals

8226; This refers to Printline 8216;India and China: friends and rivals8217; IE, November 23. Notwithstanding the Chinese president8217;s assurances of long-term economic cooperation and healthy political relations, before evolving its China policy India must know that we are neither economic equals nor political allies. No doubt China may not create any hurdles for India in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, but China8217;s forthcoming nuclear power and naval-arms deal with Pakistan worth billions of dollars will only encourage Pakistan8217;s hostility towards India and make South Asia unstable. While the shadows of 1962 may not fall on 2006, India must have its policy and options independent of Chinese support and approval.

8212; Ved Guliani Hisar

Hu and what

8226; Since Chinese President Hu Jintao8217;s visit to India was the first by the head of state from that country in a very long time, many Indians might have expected some significant outcomes. This could have assumed the form of concrete, friendly gestures to assure us that the new China under a post-Maoist, less aggressive, dogmatic leadership is genuinely desirous of mutually beneficial, accommodating relationship.

8212; M. Ratan, New Delhi

Reserve, wisely

8226; There is much dithering once again on getting the women8217;s reservation bill passed by Parliament. It is worth-understanding that the bill in its present form is a bad idea since it fixes certain constituencies for women. Further, it says that they will be rotated, which would not allow an MP to nurture his/her constituency.

The formula for reserving 33 per cent of party tickets for women is much better. Experience shows that the probability of a woman candidate winning is much higher than that of a male. And also, a quota within the quota for women from all religious minority communities should be seriously considered.

8212; Pranav Sachdeva, New Delhi

Lara8217;s exceptionalism

8226; Though everyone has the right to praise Brian Lara for his batting abilities and his record, I don8217;t understand why they should criticise Sachin Tendulkar in the same breath and compare him with Lara.

Look at the double standards. While they call Lara a 8220;tragic hero8221; and sympathise with him for ending up on the losing side even after scoring big centuries, the same critics portray Sachin as an 8220;eternal villain8221; and replace sympathy with ill words. They always pan Sachin for failing in important matches, for not winning matches for India, etc.

Why no such criticism for Lara?

8212; Amjad K. Maruf, Mumbai

Remake the team

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8226; Time and again our cricket team has shown its inability to play at the international level. If the same trend continues, our cricket team will also become like our hockey team.Everyone is required to take responsibility. Rahul Dravid cannot get away by making some excuses. There is no point in persisting with the current composition of the team. Without any delay, both Sourav Ganguly and V.V.S. Laxman should be brought back into the team for the Tests as well as World Cup one-day matches.

8212; Vasudevan, Mumbai

Mission in SA

8226; This refers to the report 8216;Pawar asks Vengsarkar to go to SA8217; IE, November 25. Hopefully, this is not an attempt by the Union agriculture minister to simply quell outrage in Parliament and that it is an act of constructive intervention.

8212; H. Singh New Delhi