• Even at their best, CAG reports are laborious, plodding, pedestrian, even convoluted, and full of comments on technical violations by which the wood is easily lost for the trees. A prime minister who wants to reform the civil services to make them responsive and efficient in terms of delivering results should not be exploiting them for partisan ends. In fact, the general view of senior civil and military servants is that the institution of CAG itself need a thorough review. — R. Sundaram Chennai Good for Bhutan • This refers to ‘Bhutan starts blocking ‘bad’ Indian TV channels’ (IE, May 7). Did it take Bhutan to tell us this? Most Indian TV channels, particularly the soaps, have the power to turn our children into morons. One does not mind grown-up idiots being addicted to these channels. The very fact that they watch them speaks volumes of their current mental state, which certifies them as useless to a growing society. But certainly we must investigate the psychology of the crooks that foist such muck on our children. Obscurantism in the name of the Indian tradition is one thing but ignorance of the great ideas of our civilisation is another. — N.S. Chakravarthy Mysore No short cut • Two articles, one by Ajay Shukla and other by Saeed Naqvi (IE, May 5, 6), suggesting ways to solve the Kashmir problem have emphasised on addressing the alienation of Kashmiris as a means to achieve the above goal. The Kashmir problem is rooted in history and any solution devoid of a historical perspective is bound to fail. The opening of roads or addressing the alienation of the people is no solution to the problem. The solution lies in the honest admission by both the countries, India and Pakistan, that they are in illegal occupation of two parts of Kashmir, and that they need to vacate it after involving the Kashmiris in the process. — Abdul Majid Zargar Srinagar Adieu, Bangalore • Bangalore shows the classic symptoms of a dying city. And no one seems to care. At Independence the city was a beacon for the future. It was growing, cosmopolitan, young and optimistic. A city which was enjoyable to live in, raise families and prosper in. A city which was blessed by nature with good weather. The vibrant hope of a young India. Over the years the city maintained its aura and grew into adulthood. It was an attractive place to come to pursue careers, do business or retire. In the last decade the city is beginning to show signs of decay. Civic amenities are crumbling. Crime is soaring. Corruption is all pervasive. — C.N. Kumar Bangalore Seniors’ woes • The Union Finance Minister has said: “We (the UPA) are here to remove the wrinkles in the face of senior citizens”. This statement prompts me to cite just one instance where he can help the central pensioners (mostly senior citizens). This concerns the promptness, or lack of it, of payment of additional dearness allowance sanctioned in March, 2005. While serving employees received payment within a week of the issue of orders most pensioners either still await the payment or the lucky few have got it after all of five weeks. — S. Jayaraman Chennai
