Wah English!

• I think in English, but regret that fact. Native language ability develops greater strategic abilities to negotiate the world as seen with the Chinese, Koreans, Taiwanese, Japanese etc. This comes from the ability to realise one’s place in the world. We Indians don’t have it.

— S. Manohar On e-mail

It’s Saltoro

• Pranab Dhal Samanta, like other Indian journalists, refers to the area under dispute in Jammu and Kashmir as Siachen (‘On the table for Siachen talks: freeze on troops, thaw in chill’, IE, May 25). Siachen glacier has been fully under the Indian army’s control for years; the de facto Indo-Pak troops standoff is to the west of the glacier in Saltoro Ridge area. Therefore, the talks should be correctly termed Saltoro talks.

— Arun Khanna Indianapolis

A good person

• My family and I were shocked when we heard that Sunil Dutt is no more with us. Dutt saab was a very good person and very hard working. Whether in Bollywood or in politics, he took care of his duties and responsibilities. India has lost a very good person and no one can take his place.

— Paramjeet S. Ajmani Pune

Research is key

• This refers to Deepak Nayyar’s ‘Universities in the sick bay’ (IE, May 25). I have taught at both Indian and western universities. The major difference is that in the west, a university vice-chancellor, a head of the department and every university teacher is judged on the basis of the continuing research output of the individual.

— A.K. Aggarwal Ahmedabad

• I was once invited by the CSIR through the TOKTEN scheme (Transfer of know how through expatriate nationals) of the UN, and was surprised to see the minimal impact that research institutions have on university education, and therefore on the people that ultimately get into those institutions. Teaching and research must go hand in hand, one stimulates the other. Also, as Nayyar has correctly pointed out, the lack of reward and penalty for performance and non-performance, respectively, is a great hindrance to progress.

— Jibamitra Ganguly On e-mail

Bofors tales

• V. Gangadhar’s ‘O Cinderella’ (IE, May 24) brings to mind my daughter’s complaint, ‘‘other children are brought up on Cinderella; we were brought up on Bofors!’’

— Mani Shankar Aiyar On e-mail