Orchids for Kalpana

Indo-US pact

• This refers to ‘Ending our nuclear winter’ (IE, July 26). The author narrates the “benefits” of the recent Indo-US nuclear agreement and terms it a “historic breakthrough”. At the same time eminent scientists and politicians, including our previous PM, have expressed grave reservations about it. I think what Dr Manmohan Singh did was wrong because he took a decision without telling the nation in much the same way as Edward Heath did in taking the UK to the EEC. Rightly, many in the UK have not excused him for that.

— Raj Behl Newcastle upon Tyne

• One look at the Express of July 26 and the article, ‘Ending our nuclear winter’ convinces one that the left is not right and the BJP-led NDA is barking up the wrong tree. Oxford on July 9 was a proud moment for all of India (I saw some Sikhs waving a large Tricolour) and as for the Washington visit, all praise to the PM for crossing the ‘T’s and dotting the ‘I’s. There is no need, as Raja Mohan says, to get flummoxed by all the ‘expert’ jargon because our power position can only now go up if the Indo-US agreement is allowed to hold and not be brought down by irresponsible opposition from within (read Left) and without (read BJP).

— Mukund B. Kunte On e-mail

Holiday mood

• To show respect to departed souls, MPs are bound to convey their concern. But to adjourn the house for the day without the transaction of business on that plea does not seem to be correct. The tradition goes against the nation’s interest. It is not the practice in other democratic countries.

— C.R. Bhattacharjee Kolkata

• Why cannot the business of the two houses of Parliament carry on after a two minutes’ silence?

— Satish Haldankar Mumbai

Gurgaon action

• While police action against workers in Gurgaon was undoubtedly excessive, comparison with the shooting down of innocent civilians in Jalianwalla Bagh by some Opposition MPs is curious.

— J.M. Manchanda New Delhi

Miserable Mumbai!

• On July 26, the city of Mumbai failed and failed miserably. As a prime city, it appeared to lack a contingency plan. All communications were paralysed. The government should have relayed the correct information over the megaphone and briefed people of the ground situation. Schoolkids got stranded and the Met failed to warn people to stay indoors. The situation caused us to lose even the little trust they had in politicians.

— Kedarnath Aiyar Mumbai