Rolling models

To Shekhar Gupta8217;s question 8212; 8216;8216;in the US or Britain Tony Blair can be a role model or very popular with t...

To Shekhar Gupta8217;s question 8212; 8216;8216;in the US or Britain Tony Blair can be a role model or very popular with the young, why is it so different in India?8217;8217; 8212; Sheila Dikshit said that it was so because our social values are different 8216;Politicians fail to give the impression that we lead8217;, IE, September 22.

This is not correct. Our social values have always been the same. After Independence only the politicians were our real role models because they had made huge sacrifices for the country. People saw that they did their best to serve the country and its people. Our present-day politicians tend to be a self-serving lot.
8212; M.C. Joshi, Lucknow

Not rusty

Comments from an insider of early vintage frame 8216;Rusty steel frame8217;, IE, September 20. On entry to the premier service I was told that barring corruption and adultery nothing else would hurt you, though you may be inconvenienced hugely by transfers. So enjoy the job.

Nirad Chaudhuri told me in 1956 that he saw the end of the IAS in twenty years. His curious reason was that those who did not get into it would drift to politics and rise up in twenty years to be boss. Since neither will understand the true purpose and uses of power, they will end up as a joint vested interest or fractious dysfunctionality. We see both. Not rusty but irrelevant and dishonest.
8212; Raj S., On e-mail

Hand him over

It is fine and dandy that Pakistan admits Dawood8217;s operating in Karachi 8216;Pak finally admits: Dawood operates in Karachi8217;, IE, September 22. Does it mean that Pakistan will hand over Dawood to India? Of course not.

When Dawood was terrorising India, Pakistan had no problem. But now that
Dawood8217;s men have blown up something in Karachi by mistake, now Pakistan will claim that Dawood has to be tried in Pakistan first and serve out his sentence in Pakistan, and then Pakistan will consider if India8217;s evidence is strong enough for him to be extradited.
8212; Suresh M. Sheth, On e-mail

Money matters

How many votes for a suicide?8217; by Shantanu Datta IE, September 16 raises a number of issues relating to the frequent suicides by farmers in Karnataka.

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The main reason for the suicides in Karnataka, which is equally true in a number of other states, is the habit of borrowing both for production and consumption purposes, with little thought to the terms and conditions of loans and their consequences.
8212; V. Sagar, Delhi

Mapping the spill

Manoj Mitta deserves credit for his analysis of the Supreme Court judgement on disinvestment of oil companies 8216;It8217;s not just about oil8217;, IE, September 20. It would seem that the judgement was pronounced without the matter being given due thought and consideration.
8212; V.P. Damodar, On e-mail

Who gained?

It is surprising to find so much joy and merrymaking by the officials of the
Government of India on the achievements at the recent WTO ministerial meet at Cancun. One should expect some gain for the country but what has been achieved is just unanimity within developing countries.

How long will we in India live under the illusion of economic and political
leadership in the world without achieving anything worth taking note of in
these areas?
8212; S.N. Ghosal, On e-mail