Letters to the editor

Arjun8217;s aim8226; NOW that the Supreme Court has refused to stay its quota order 8216;17 per cent quota, 100 per cent politics8217;,...

Arjun8217;s aim

8226; NOW that the Supreme Court has refused to stay its quota order 8216;17 per cent quota, 100 per cent politics8217;, IE, April 24, it is high time the Congress realised that HRD Minister Arjun Singh is proving to be a great liability. He promoted the quota for OBCs guided by political considerations and personal ambitions, and is dividing the student community. He is giving a bad name to the very idea of merit. He is given to promoting controversies and dragging even the apex court into unnecessary controversies. We8217;ve had distinguished people like Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, M.C. Chagla and P.V. Narasimha Rao as this country8217;s education ministers. None of them interfered with higher education in the country in the way Arjun Singh has.

8212;M. Ramakrishna and M.N. Soudamini, Delhi

Build sports talent

8226; A MASTERLY treatise by Mani Shankar Aiyar 8216;I was always Leftist8230;8217;, IE, April 24. The problem with us is that we rush to conclusions without studying a problem. In spite of our very poor record in sports, we like to give the impression that we are the greatest. Preparing for major events is a very serious business. Consider the facilities that the Koreans offer in terms of airports, roads, buses, trains. Can we match them? Now that the Koreans have won the bid to stage the Asiad, Suresh Kalmadi would like to make Aiyar the scapegoat. I think he should come out of his stupor and not waste our reserves on false prestige, but on building genuine sporting talent.

8212;R. Singh, Delhi

Impure subsidy?

8226; INSTEAD of welcoming the decision of the Allahabad High Court on discontinuing the subsidy provided to Haj pilgrims, the Government of India in its zeal to appease Muslims has gone in appeal to the Supreme Court to nullify the order. But there is ignorance behind the move. The ulema of almost all the sects are unanimous on the point that the Haj pilgrimage should be undertaken by honestly earned money.The subsidy provided by the government makes the pilgrims8217; obligation to God 8220;impure8221; and such subsidy must, therefore, be stopped.

8212;Shariq Alavi, Lucknow

Earth II

8226; THERE is a lot of rejoicing at the discovery of an earth-like planet. I hope it has inhabitants who are bright enough to prevent us from coming there, or we will only destroy it in a few years. In any case, it is 20 light years away. Hence at the maximum speed that we have now achieved 8212; 25,000 kmph 8212; it will take nearly 8,00,000 years to step foot on its soil! If there is intelligent life on that planet they should be grateful that humans are indeed so far away!

8212; T.R. Ramaswami, Mumbai