Opinion General perception
This refers to A testing transition. General V.K. Singhs last few months in office were dramatic
General perception
* THIS refers to A testing transition (IE,June 1). General V.K. Singhs last few months in office were dramatic. The controversy over his date of birth was completely avoidable but his frankness about being offered a bribe was courageous and commendable. The new chief,General Bikram Singh,should not be showered with unsolicited advice on how to conduct himself in his new role.
Ashok Goswami
* WHETHER we like it or not,the outgoing army chief General V.K. Singh did the country a service by ruffling a few feathers in the civilian bureaucracy. He reminds us of General K.S. Thimayya in the way he stood up to the political leadership. The defence minister could have shown some courage and taken action when V.K. Singh told him of the Tatra trucks issue. The civilian bureaucracy wanted to embarrass the general,but the events of the past few months have reflected badly on them as well. The army chief is first a citizen of India,and then the head of the army. He had every right to take the controversy over his date of birth to court. Satish Nambiar makes a telling point when he writes … civilian control is political control and not civilian bureaucratic control.
M. Rama Krishna
New Delhi
Team spirit
* MAMATA BANERJEES claim that the Kolkata Knight Riders have done Kolkata proud is most amusing. She seems to have been carried away by the inclusion of Kolkata in the teams name,and forgotten that players from various regions and of different nationalities constitute the team. Some of the present members may even play against the team next season if the price is right!
S. Rajagopalan
Fuelling anger
* THE petrol price hike has made us all react angrily (They can take a hike,IE,May 31). The immediate cause for the hike does not seem to be the rise in the price of crude oil but the devaluation of the rupee in the international market. That is the real problem the government has to fight.
M.G. Patne
Miraj
NATO redux
* YOUR article,The story from Chicago (IE,May 25),highlights many points,including the mishandling of Afghanistan by the US,which has led to gains for other parties and played out to Chinas advantage. Undoubtedly,NATOs role has changed over the years. From being an alliance for the collective security of nations,it has become a virtual policymaker. The USs reluctance to deal with Pakistan creates confusion. However,it also leaves a vacuum that provides opportunities for countries like India to engage in dialogue to build strong partnerships within the subcontinent.
Kartik Kumar
New Delhi
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