UN reform

8226; It appears that the Union minister of external affairs, Natwar Singh, has once again opened his mouth prematurely. He said, in res...

8226; It appears that the Union minister of external affairs, Natwar Singh, has once again opened his mouth prematurely. He said, in response to a statement by Vladimir Putin, that India is not interested in a Security Council seat, without the veto power. It is odd that he seems unaware of the recommendations of a panel appointed by Kofi Annan.
In the panel8217;s deliberations, there was not a lot of interest in directly addressing the question of Security Council expansion, partly because it would require a change to the UN Charter, an amendment that is highly unlikely although not impossible to achieve. The panel provides two options on how to deal with the issue. The basic recommendation that is common to both of them is that an expanded Council should be based on what new members are going to contribute to the UN system in terms of peacekeeping and international assistance. The veto is not extended to other countries under either scenario.

8212;S.C.N. Jatar Pune

Love our daughters

8226; I read a report recently that a mother in Kurukshetra killed her 8-month-old daughter in the hope that this sacrifice will endow her with a son. It is disturbing that female infanticide is still a harsh reality in India. In the rural community and the uneducated urban community, awareness and educative programmes need to be conducted which propagate this message. As a society we need to outgrow the 8220;son is a saviour8221; syndrome that has afflicted us for ages. Specially in an era when girls are equally well-educated and can play an equally important role in providing support to parents in their old age.

8212; Anupama Vedapuri On e-mail

Less tainted than thou

8226; Apropos of 8216;No clearer man than L.K. Advani8217; IE, Dec 3 substantiates that a half-truth is more malignant than unadulterated falsehood. The recent letter by Gauri Sabharwal, Advani8217;s estranged daughter-in-law, was expected to cause a 8220;dhamaka8221; in the RJD press conference as one of the 8220;plural8221; gimmicks of Laloo Prasad Yadav. The episode, though taken up and reported by a papers, is an example of sensational journalism. Laloo believes in erasing his 8220;taint8221; by splashing 8220;taint8221; on others.

8212; F.S.K. Barar On e-mail

Porn on the mind

8226; I have always admired Mahesh Bhatt8217;s logical, 8220;out of the box8221; thinking 8216;Porn Free8217;, Dec 4. When you are writing a piece that comes across as supportive of porn, I am tempted to ask you about the role of media as entertainer and educator. Indeed, sex sells and sex is central area to human evolution. But what should we conclude from this porn boom? Whether the institution of marriage should be respected or should it be ridiculed? What is the place of sensual attraction in terms of human growth? Why should we glorify sensual pursuits through our films and TV shows? Why not expose our upcoming generations to better values in entertainment? The porn industry may attract millions of dollars but it8217;s a bit like the arms trade. It does not help in building a better world.

8212; Ashok Vyas New York

8226; Mahesh Bhatt in classifying Khajuraho carvings along with common porn found on the internet shows a considerable lack of understanding of Indian ethos.

8212; Krishnaswamy Bangalore