Please note

Higher and higher

• With the launch of our heaviest so far remote sensing satellite, India can rightfully have sky-high ambitions and vie for the big-pie in the skies. All of this has been possible due to the national commitment to space, nuclear and other such programmes. I vividly recall how some 30 years ago, Vasant Gowarikar had shown us round his work on the composite propellant that eventually formed the backbone of our launch successes. Those days A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was also engrossed in the SLV-3 programme. It has really been the long and arduous work of so many scientists, institutions like IISc, NAL and others which has led us to successes we all can be proud of. However, there is a need to knit our fragmented aerospace resources into a national asset for best results. Congratulations to G. Madhavan Nair and his team — not forgetting the old stalwarts who all have contributed to this great success.

— Raghubir Singh Pune

Shameful trend

• The prime minister has been unable to provide any leadership or vision and has acted more like a bureaucrat than a leader. Most of the other senior ministers hardly interact with him on any issue of importance. Under the vengeful leadership provided by the CPM, RJD and Sonia Gandhi, the UPA has forgotten all traditions of mutual courtesy and respect for the opposition. This is inexorably making India less of a democracy. Indian politics today reminds one of Pakistan during the heyday of the Benazir-Nawaz Sharif rivalry. Surely, all Indians are able to see through the despicable attempts to throw mud on Shourie, Fernandes and Advani by a corruption-ridden Congress and its allies.

— A.K. Aggarwal Ahmedabad

Come back now

• It is both annoying and disgusting that the NDA chose to extend its boycott of both houses of Parliament till the Budget session gets over on May 13. Although the NDA has been clamouring for the ‘‘tainted’’ Railway Minister’s resignation in the wake of charges having been framed against him by a special court at Ranchi in the fodder scam, one has a feeling that NDA MPs are staying away from Parliament as they lack both the courage and conviction to confront the ruling party over the matter of the largesse extended to retired Justice Phukan. Now there are the charges against Arun Shourie as well. Even last year, the NDA had initially boycotted Parliament proceedings, only to realise its mistake later. If political parties adopt boycott tactics to evade debates on uncomfortable issues, then the institution of Parliament is rendered meaningless.

— Ganesh Sovani Thane