Mumbai shanghaied

The administration and people dream of turning Mumbai into Shanghai.

8226;The administration and people dream of turning Mumbai into Shanghai. This is truly difficult to accomplish but not an improbable task. However, what we can never dare to dream of is any maturity, selflessness and responsibility from the political parties cutting across all lines. A classic example of this want in the political class came to the fore in the recent episode involving the hooligans of Raj and Udhhav Thackeray. The state government never fails to remind us of the still elusive Shanghai dream but one fails to understand what it is doing to nail these thugs who disturb the mood of this wonderful city in the name of regionalism.

8212; Sandeep Ghiya

Mumbai

Silent satraps

8226;This is with reference to your leader 8216;It8217;s the Constitution8217; and Kumar Ketkar8217;s article 8216;Spot the difference8217;. Yes, it is a welcome sign that L.K.

Advani spoke against the wicked antics of the Thackerays, striking an appropriate note in light of the Constitution, just as Ketkar has tracked the evolution of Shiv Sena and the MNS.However, it is a disgrace that the two cousins and their patriarch are capable of nothing but the lowest kind of chauvinism and parochialism, holding many lives and livelihoods of non-Marathis to ransom so that they can build up their political outfits. And the galling part of this deplorable 8216;political8217; episode in the otherwise cosmopolitan state is that Maharashtrian stalwarts at the Centre like Sharad Pawar, Shushil Shinde and Shivraj Patil were silent.

8212; M.K.D. Prasada Rao

Ghaziabad

Fear factor

8226;In times of an attempted or forced bandh like this week8217;s when Raj Thackeray was arrested, it is the fear of damage to lives andproperty that makes shopkeepers and business establishments down their shutters. The success of these bandhs is definitely not due to any love and respect for hooligans like Thackeray. This element of fear is the only factor on which political parties thrive and organise their dreadful activities.

8212; Mohd Salahuddin

Mumbai

Courage in question

8226; With clarity and precision, Arun Shourie has pointed to the collective cowardice the Indian establishment 8212; including, alas, the media 8212; exhibits in confronting China even when faced with naked aggression by that nation in Arunachal Pradesh 8216;hilpa Shetty trumps Arunachal again8217;.Indeed, the same cowardice is reflected in our dealings with Pakistan and even Bangladesh. Terrorists trained in these countries are waging war on India, yet our government cannot even bring itself to name these countries, leave alone taking any effective proactive steps to counter them. Little wonder that the only remaining repository of courage in our land is the armed services; but more and more, thanks to our pusillanimous civil society, the morale of our servicemen is being eroded.

8212; R.P. Subramanian

Delhi

Clarification

8226; A newS item in the February 14 issue of your paper says this: 8220;8230;after the Volcker Committee findings in the UN Oil-for-Food scam in which he and his son were named as beneficiaries8221;. My son, Jagat Singh8217;s name does not figure anywhere in the Volcker Report. The name of the Congress Party does appear as a non-contractual beneficiary.

8212; K. Natwar Singh

New Delhi