Letters to the editor

Our iron curtain8226; THIS refers to your editorial 8216;Incredible India8217; IE, February 12. While in rejecting the research attempt...

Our iron curtain

8226; THIS refers to your editorial 8216;Incredible India8217; IE, February 12. While in rejecting the research attempt of some Fulbright scholars in India, the Government of India may argue that most of these topics have a communal tinge, relating to the Muslim community and their perception of social development and hence are likely to adversely affect the communal harmony in the country. Yet this step is an unhealthy reflection of our claims of being a liberal democracy hopeful of becoming a knowledge superpower.

We cannot and should not strive to shape our cultural and intellectual growth by putting up iron curtains. In a vibrant democracy, with a globalised economy and education, it is interaction that should mould and form our social and cultural response. It is really time that the age-old bureaucratic restrictions, leading often to harassment and embarrassment, were given a nice burial.

8212; Ved Guliani, Hisar

8226; THE report about the denial of, and excessive delay in, Indian visas to US Fulbright scholars for their research subjects is shocking. All indications for the last several years, particularly after the Congress-led government headed by an academic-economist took power, were that Indo-US relations had reached a new level of bonhomie. Hence, what your report reveals is scandalous beyond belief.

You have rightly branded it as 8220;a shameful indictment of India8217;s claims to being a liberal democracy8221;. What is deeply distressing is that, despite growing globalisation and wider interaction between scholars and the breaking of other barriers, our bureaucracy seems stuck in an old suspicious mindset. The prime minister must 8220;intervene quickly and directly8221; to set things right.

8212; M. Ratan, New Delhi

Nithari aside

8226; APROPOS of the article, 8216;J038;K8217;s bodies of evidence8217; IE, February 12, disappearances and killings are routine, even in Naxalite infested areas and in the Northeast. But they are the result of an ill-trained police force working under tremendous pressure. J038;K is no exception. Given this background, the comparison that the writer makes with the Nithari killings is ridiculous.

8212; Vishwanath Rao, Mumbai

Don8217;t blame PM

8226; APROPOS of 8216;PM wasn8217;t the doctor ordered by the Congress8217; IE, February 12, it was very naive on the part of the Congress to expect Dr Manmohan Singh to be a vote-catcher in Punjab, his 8220;home state8221;. Dr Singh is not apolitical leader by any stretch of the imagination.

8212; Devendra Narain, Gurgaon

Caribbean stunner

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8226; BY not selecting Mohammed Kaif for the World Cup squad, the selectors have made a big mistake. By not even giving him a chance to play either against the West Indians or the Sri Lankans, they have already shown a clear bias against him. Kaif is a better and proven player, even if you would have to compare him with Raina or Karthik. Why different yardsticks for Kaif, Pathan and Sehwag?

8212; Saeed Shervani, New Delhi

8226; TOO many cooks spoil the broth and too many out-of-form and injured players are going to spoil our party at the World Cup in the West Indies. From captain Rahul Dravid to Sehwag and Pathan, most of our players have not done well in recent games. The list of injured players is a constant worry, and players like Munaf Patel, Ajit Agarkar and Yuvraj Singh are not fully fit.

8212; S.N. Kabra, Mumbai