Medals and mettle

The editorial, ‘The Arjuna goes to...’ (IE, Sept 17) made interesting reading. But I wonder how you could suggest th...

The editorial, ‘The Arjuna goes to…’ (IE, Sept 17) made interesting reading. But I wonder how you could suggest that we “do away with the guideline that favours achievements at the international level over those at home”. This, in fact, has been the practice till ’01. It was then found that the “performance at home” business was being exploited to honour all and sundry while more deserving cases were left out. Surely, performances at international meets will have to be recognised as more important than, say, winning a national title for six years in a row. Your point about Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore being chosen for the Arjuna also amazes me. The Arjuna remains our highest sports award. Khel Ratna is just the highest award for a year. Rathore’s Arjuna is in order for his performance in ’03. For ’04, he will surely get the Khel Ratna and perhaps a Padma Bushan. Not giving the Arjuna to Rathore would have got editorial writers in later years to lament: “But did you know, our only Olympics silver winner, didn’t get the Arjuna; the shame of it”!

— P. Kumaran Delhi

Pakistan cauldron

• Jasjit Singh states that Pakistan is heading for a power struggle between the Mush dictatorship and Islamist parties along with fundamental terrorists (‘Pakistan at tipping point’, IE, Sept 20). For India and the free world the looming anarchy within Pakistan can have repercussions. While Pakistan’s economy has improved, it has failed to reach poor Pakistanis, around 50 million strong. Then there are one and a half million fundamental religion schools turning out fundamental jihadis in their thousands.

— Arvind Amin On e-mail

• President Musharraf still has a viable political strategy left before reaching tipping point. In the ’50s, Pakistan’s Islamic parties launched an agitation against the Ahmediya sect and succeeded in getting them declared as non-Muslims. Musharraf can tacitly encourage a similar agitation against the Zikri sect in Balochistan — often targeted by MMA activists. Such an agitation would divert Islamic parties’ attention while increasing their political clout and ultimately result in their controlling Balochistan. In essence, by allowing MMA to control two states with smaller populations, the Pakistani military establishment can retain control of the central government, West Punjab and Sindh state governments.

— Arun Khanna On e-mail

Tallest men

• With reference to your leader, ‘Media’s Man of Iron’ (IE, August 28), I would say that three people had emerged the tallest following the infamous Emergency — Ram Nath Goenka, V.K. Narasimhan and Justice H.R. Khanna. Every freedom loving Indian must offer obeisances to each one of them. Therefore, I welcome your leader.

— M.K.D. Prasada Rao Ghaziabad

SC on Waqf Act: Stay on clause that creator has to be practising Islam for 5 yrs

India9 min ago

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, provision requiring registration of Waqf by user, but paused the clause that states a person must be a practitioner of Islam for five years to create a Waqf until state governments frame relevant rules.

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