Letters To The Editor

When the law catches up with them, they do not have the sense and sensitivity to ask for forgiveness and submit themselves to the dictates of the law, but display a tendency to accuse the judiciary of 8220;activism8221;. The common man can only feel helpless in the face of such impunity. Are we asking for too much when we argue that the present laws need a drastic overhaul in order to take care of these law-breakers?

8212; M.K.D. Prasada Rao, Ghaziabad

8226; UNION coal minister Shibu Soren8217;s conviction for murder is shocking enough, but even more shocking is the blithe manner in which the UPA MPs are dismissing the issue. To them, Soren8217;s conviction is 8216;balanced8217; by L.K. Advani8217;s being charged in the Babri demolition case! In the meanwhile, 8216;sources8217; in the government are making energetic efforts to distance the prime minister from the whole sordid affair, including Soren8217;s non-functionality as minister 8216;Soren exits, govt moves in to push key reforms8217;, IE, November 30. However, to preserve his reputation for integrity and honour, the PM must answer the question: why did he re-induct Soren into the Cabinet after being forced to drop him earlier 8212; ironically, on another murder charge?

8212; R.P. Subramanian, Delhi

8226; THIS refers to 8216;The Soren-sized headache8217; IE, November 30. Manini Chatterjee is right in pointing out the grim reality of national parties not being able to include within their fold leaders with regional mass support to the fullest extent. But accepting CPM as a national party does not make sense as it exists in merely three states. Also, accepting the Congress as a party with internal democracy is ridiculous, because Sonia Gandhi has been its unchallenged president for so long. This is also evident from the softer version of autocracy wherein it is not the PM but Gandhi who can make petrol and diesel cheaper for us.

8212; Amish R. Shah, Student Mumbai

Greg8217;s game

8226; CHAPPELL as the India cricket coach has systematically demolished the team by juggling around with the batting order, encouraging bowlers to become batsmen and discounting the more experienced bowlers in favour of youngsters. This has caused anxiety in the team and its members are dogged by below-par

performance. Players are finding it difficult to get selected as a result. A notable example of these experiments has been Irfan Pathan, who just two years ago was hailed as the find of the decade and an equivalent of Wasim Akram. He is now finding it difficult to re-create the old magic with his swing bowling. Why?

Because Chappell told him he can bat better. Ignoring the more experienced bowlers has seen the youngsters getting lambasted after their initial breakthroughs, since they lack the staying power and the resilience that come from international match experience.

8212; S. Kamat, Alto Betim Goa