Yesterday, again

8226; Congratulations to you on your Republic Day issue. Your stories on Major General ...

8226; Congratulations to you on your Republic Day issue. Your stories on Major General Dubey8217;s recollection of the first ceremonial parade at Delhi and the nostalgic memories of Chaudhary Ranvir Singh Hooda and Kusumkant Jain, who
affixed their signatures on the Constitution during the historic session of the Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950, no doubt stirs the soul. They are a vivid reminder of the tall and legendary leaders of yesteryear whose example needs to be emulated by the so-called leaders of the present day if the nation is to resurrect itself.

8212; Gautam Mookerjee New Delhi

Think independently

8226; India8217;s policy on Iran has to be irrespective of any influence from the US or objections from the leftists. The UPA should decide the best course of action 8212; jointly with the opposition, so that a consensus can emerge in our foreign policy 8212; on what suits India8217;s interests best.

8212; A.K Das Kolkata

Take Iran along

8226; Fareed Zakaria8217;s is a very perceptive article 8216;Time to face reality in Iran8217;, IE, January 25. He has very aptly identified the need to change the current course of confrontation with Iran, and transform it into a multi-polar coalitional approach to influence Iran to slow down its weaponisation. This is a practical approach which will yield results in the short as well as long term. We must understand that Iran has attained that stage in its nationhood which necessitates the possession of a nuclear weapon as a national aspiration, not only for the elites as represented by the belligerent president, but also the people on the streets, who want a Persian bomb. A preemptive strike to destroy any of its nuclear facilities would prove counter-productive as it will only harden the determination of its people and government to possess an atom bomb. The international community should instead work towards fostering the national ambitions of the Iranians in a positive direction by assuring them of a greater role in managing their own nuclear facilities and carefully integrating Russian assistance into enrichment.

8212; B.R.K. Rao New Delhi

Retailing fears

8226; The BJP and the Left have rightly opposed the 51 per cent FDI in brand retail in India. Their fear is that branded shops can cover a variety of products under a single brand name. The opening up of the retail sector would certainly mean giving the green signal to the big retail chains and multinational giants like Wal-Mart, Tesco, Target and Sam8217;s Club, to the ruin of Indian retail traders.

8212; Hansraj Bhat Mumbai

Pay damages

8226; It is cruel to take a dig at a person who is already down 8216;Maxim says sorry, but Khushboo will sue8217;, IE, January 25. Even humour has its limits. Maxim must pay damages to Khushboo in cash for morphing her image.

8212; Mohandas Rao Mumbai