Opinion Mumbai,forgotten
Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee,conspicuous by her absence from Parliament during the suburban railway motormen strike in Mumbai....
Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee,conspicuous by her absence from Parliament during the suburban railway motormen strike in Mumbai,revealed her priorities (Mumbai stir,unstirred Mamata halt House,IE,May 5). Despite Mumbai being classified as the single largest contributor to the railway exchequer,the city has always been given a step-motherly treatment. Significantly,politicians were waiting to take political mileage from the situation instead of solving the problems faced by the commuters.
Deepak Chikramane
Lame defence
The editorial DMKs words (IE,May 5) is welcome. Karunanidhi may consider himself very smart,and divert attention from the telecom ministers 2G shenanigans and the consequent massive loss to the exchequer,by saying that his partys nominee in the Union cabinet is being attacked because of his caste. Is the nation,at large,to presume that corruption,however monumental,must be forgiven because of a persons caste? Or is Karunanidhi arguing for his minister because of his partys clout in adding to the numbers of UPA-II,while in Tamil Nadu hes at the mercy of the Congress?
Prasad Malladi
Nidadavole
Helping Nepal
India should take a positive stand on Nepals peace process,and use its influence to negotiate a reconciliation deal between the parties concerned,so as to enable them to collectively extend the constituent assemblys term beyond May 28 (On a deadline,IE,May 4). In the absence of such an event,all the powers of the prime minister will automatically go the president. In such a situation,and in the absence of the new constitution,it will be difficult for Nepal to have a democratic system in near future.
C. Koshy John
Mature diplomacy
Our foreign policy needs distinctly superior stewardship. With a globalised economy,our strength is best leveraged by mature and professional external relations,buttressed by long-term policy orientation. One requirement for this is to minimise our internal discords on foreign policy such that our initiatives and actions are taken seriously by other nations. Professional diplomacy is the need of the hour.
R. Narayanan
Ghaziabad
Different cases
Fali S. Nariman was not being childish in suggesting the status of a Union Territory for Mumbai (Making a case for Mumbai,IE,May 5). I will say that he was honest in making the suggestion. But he forgot that Jamshedpur is what it is only because the Tatas have been managing it. No authority likely to be established for a UT is likely to be free of politics. No politician would leave the management of Mumbai to anyone else. Theres too much money in it. Besides,its a very sensitive issue with even ordinary Maharashtrians.
Sadashiv S. Apte
Pune
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