VAT sense

• Your recommendation to bring FDI into the retail sector is knee-jerk. While the government should not succumb to the deplorable tactics of retailers, I believe FDI in this sector will lead to massive job loss and damage to the economy. Imagine a Wal-Mart in India selling stuff from China at cheap prices prices. No local shop owner will be able to compete.

— Munir Parikh Ahmedabad

Modi and US

• How can Pamela Philipose make a statement like, “Can the man responsible for the Gujarat carnage of 2002 actually speak of ‘democracy’, ‘human rights’ and ‘natural justice’?” (‘Stand up to the global gaze’, IE, March 31). Why is it impossible for a well-respected journalist like her to understand something happened before the riots broke out in Gujarat: 57 innocent people were burned alive by a group of people. Modi did not go out and kill. It was one set of citizens fighting another set. As simple as that.

— Byju John Chicago

• Apropos of ‘Stand up to the global gaze’, our system has been weakened by politicians through the pursuit of corruption, emergency rule and genocide. They have never apologised to the nation for their role in creating these situations or brought justice to the victims. Gandhiji said rightly: the weak will not apologise but it’s the strong who can apologise.

— Arvind Amin On e-mail

• Kudos to Anil Dharker for this excellent piece underlining the need to put leaders who misuse the state machinery in their place (IE, March 30). All right-minded citizens must openly express their support for the US action. Only then can we prevent other carnages.

— G.R. Vora Mumbai

• Apropos of Lavanya Rajmani’s piece (IE, March 30), before we criticise Modi remember the entire problem is because of the brutal behaviour of Muslims.

— Harish Awasthi New Delhi

Mature view

• It’s heartening to read a mature article on Indian foreign policy (‘A bigger, bolder policy’, IE, March 31). It’s a pity that we look at Iraq from purely a “US started the war for oil” viewpoint. Bush won’t be in power forever and Iraq will have a destiny beyond ’08. What would India like to do with Iraq? Let us not be blind to the dividends of helping a very educated, democratic and oil-rich country at this juncture.

— Nagarajan Sivakumar San Diego

Important points

• The Walk the Talk interview was great (IE, Mrch 29). Vivek Paul’s points were important. Everything he said about Indians possessing a desire to learn and grow is true. It our misfortune that we have been ruled by people who hardly have any knowledge about India’s intellectual wealth.

— Prasenjit Seoul