We must awake

8226; The success of the SAARC process 8216;Brajesh, Aziz did spadework to bury past8217;, IE, January 7 is...

8226; The success of the SAARC process 8216;Brajesh, Aziz did spadework to bury past8217;, IE, January 7 is a challenge to those in the media and academia, as well as to the religious leaders of Hindus and Muslims to come up with examples that can prove to the world that the Indian subcontinent is the only region where followers of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism have lived together in peace. Wake up Pakistan, India and Bangladesh and march as one to regain our lost world leadership. Remember the mind is more powerful than the greatest ever empire and the greatest ever discovery. The western world, from the Arabian sea to the Pacific, is still living with the barbarism of violence.

8212; Prakash Narain On e-mail

8226; The SAARC summit in Islamabad has ended on a happy note. Prime Minister Vajpayee must be congratulated for his unceasing efforts to pave the way for good neighbourly relations with Pakistan. The 8220;historic handshake8221; and the 8220;composite dialogue8221; are good omens for both the countries. President Musharraf8217;s change of heart and advocacy of mutual and sincere efforts by the two countries would definitely bear sweet fruit. It is a win-win situation for the moderate mindset on both sides of the border. However, sabotage by fundamentalists on both sides has to be guarded against. Hopefully, in due course of time love, peace, and prosperity would prevail on both sides of the border.

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

Hindutva, Goa style

8226; Apropos of 8216;Hindutva on the beach8217; IE, January 8, the writer shows her ignorance by describing Hindutva as anti-woman what about Uma Bharati?, anti-minoritywhat about Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi?. The fact is that Goan Christians are basically Hindus who were converted to Christianity under the swords and guns of the Pope8217;s Portuguese tyrants. Hindutva is about all religious, spiritual and philosophical systems that originated in undivided India, and is the most non-violent and tolerant of all the religious systems in the world.

8212; K.A. Buch On e-mail

8226; Sagarika Ghosh8217;s column is well-researched and well-crafted. It has delved masterly into the subtleties and nuances of Goa8217;s life and culture. It is also piece of positive journalism.

8212; P.J. Joseph On e-mail

Helping jawans

8226; This is with reference to your editorial, 8216;Let8217;s not forget8217; IE, December 31, and a reader8217;s letter IE, January 7. It is high time that we started treating our soldiers with the kind of attention and gratitude they deserve. The nation, and the government, are responsible for not only their economic well-being, but also their psychological well-being. In this context, I think a special allowance for maintaining a telephone connection at every soldier8217;s home is not too far-fetched, considering that such allowances are routinely given to bureaucratic and clerical paper-pushers. Of course, where a land-line is not feasible at present, a mobile phone must be provided.

8212; Ramkumar Perumal On e-mail

A good break

8226; The article by Renuka Narayanan on Dravida politics is really appreciable. It is really a much-needed shift from the secular-communal axis the English media regularly features.

8212; Venkat On e-mail