Terror’s shadow

India’s folly

• President Musharraf can never ever be trusted in any matter connected with India. On the one hand, he releases PoWs and other innocent people including fishermen. The very next day, he arrests another lot of fishermen. I am sure he will not release Sarabjit Singh, despite any proof of his innocence. If he is interested in nothing but Kashmir, then need we exert ourselves so much to achieve “peace”? Everyday we prove ourselves most foolish in the eyes of the world as Bush and Mush share conspiratorial smiles.

— Hansraj Bhat Mumbai

The same fiefs

• Apropos of your editorial ‘Crony Socialism’ (IE, September 16), notwithstanding the claims of economic liberalisation and professional competitiveness at the global level, the Indian political leadership has not come out of the mindset of the license raj. A portfolio for the minister is still no better than his fiefdom and a personal jagir. Norms and rules have been framed aplenty to keep the PSUs free from the whims and vested interests of the ill-informed and even corrupt politicians. But equally flagrant have been the violations of these rules. If today more than 100 PSUs are accumulating huge losses, it is not for the lack of efficient managers and professionals. It is because the right type of people have neither been given their right places nor the requisite autonomy owing to the partisan whims of the presiding political leadership. The PM should not heed the minister’s excuse that the NDA government also did the same. He must only keep the national interest in mind, not any petty gains for his political party.

— Ved Guliani Hisar

Welcome changes

• I am an alumnus of IIT and I must appreciate the steps taken by the HRD Minister to modify the terms of IIT-JEE. Today, students have lost the habit of reading textbooks, journals, periodicals. They heavily depend upon bazaar guides and coaching class booklets for ‘‘knowledge’’. Hence, questions based on comprehension should test the reading, grasping and understanding skills of students. The ‘‘negative’’ marks for incorrect answers should be increased to deter guesswork. In fact, this system should be introduced in Class XII as well.

— Harish C.P. Mumbai

Foul, Sourav

• It is foul on the part of Sourav Ganguly that he chose to break his silence on coach Greg Chappell’s advice to quit the captaincy of India’s cricket team only after he displayed some good cricket after continued poor performance in the last many matches! A senior authority like the coach has every right to give his opinion in the interest of Indian cricket.

— Madhu Agrawal On e-mail