Letter of the Week AwardWe write to be read. When you write in, we read you to know what you think about what we publish. The ‘newspaper-active reader relationship’ is of enormous significance for a serious publication. A good letter, especially a good letter that critiques us, is of immense value. It is to recognise this and to encourage quality reader intervention that TheIndian Express is instituting the ‘Letter of the Week’ award. Beginning with the issue dated March 31, we will announce and publish every Saturday the reader intervention our editors deem most substantive, well-thought-out, sharp and cogent. Selection will be from letters received that week. The winner receives books worth Rs 1,000 and his letter gets pride of the place in the letters column as well as on our website. Real, unfree CBI• YOUR report (‘Twist in Lalu case.’ IE, March 22) rightly points to the twist when only a month ago, the CBI had sought the law ministry’s permission to appeal against the acquittal of the Yadav couple, which was denied. Do we need any further comment on the supposed “freedom” of the investigating agency? The premier agency, which according to the prime minister enjoys “all the freedom” to pursue its cases, has, in an all-too-familiar flip-flop, opposed the Bihar government’s appeal in the Lalu-Rabri disproportionate assets case. The CBI’s pliability was on display in the Quattrocchi case when it facilitated the defreezing of his London bank accounts. And when it came under media scanner, it asserted that an Interpol red corner notice was still in place at its insistence against Q. Will the real CBI please stand up?— M. Ratan, New Delhi Secular mist• APROPOS your editorial, ‘Who hurt Hindus?’ (IE, March 22), I am an ordinary Hindu and like me there are millions of ordinary Hindus who are not at all saddened by the alleged assault on the ignored and neglected Babri Masjid; and that the issue will be revisited every time Muslims are unnecessarily appeased. Rahul Gandhi spoke out in Deoband, a Muslim-dominated town; while BJP and hurt Hindus speak all over the country. Release of pent-up anger is not vandalism. — Kedarnath R. Aiyar, MumbaiHoli hues• I AGREE with Ranjit Kumar Dash (‘Off-colour and unruly’, Intervention, IE, March 12). For the last 25 years we have been trying to curtail the noise levels during festivals. Dash is right in his analysis of what has become of Holi, a festival rooted in a gentle myth. Diwali, as he notes, instead of being a festival of lights, has become one of noise and dangerous air pollution! — Yeshwant Oke; Secretary, Anti Noise Pollution Committee, MumbaiDuty of office• IN two recent editorials you have disapproved of the roles of the governors of West Bengal and J&K, as they went beyond their office. G.K. Gandhi reminded everybody that oath taking for this high office should not be treated as “casual”, while General S.K. Sinha described the claim of PDP for troop withdrawal from the valley as “obnoxious”. Sinha’s words may not be befitting, but should not the advisory role of the governors include making crucial suggestions? — N.K. Das Gupta, Kolkata
