Open secret

* The article,‘UP polls,UPA’s prospects’ (IE,January 30) is striking for the blandness with which it acknowledges corruption at the highest levels of the UPA government. For instance,while discussing the 2G scam,it refers to the communications ministry as “lucrative” (there’s plenty of money to be made there!); says the Central government “had to perforce look the other way as norms and rules were flouted” (a polite way of saying the Congress turned a blind eye to A. Raja’s misdeeds to retain DMK’s support for the UPA); and observes that “with several CBI cases against its key leaders… the DMK now needs the support of the Central government more than the Congress needs the DMK’s” (an admission the CBI is a servant of the Congress-led UPA). When corruption is so institutionalised in our system that it evokes a resigned acceptance rather than outright condemnation,it is small wonder that we have confined Anna Hazare and others into the dustbin of history.

— R.P. Subramanian Delhi

Division of labour

* This refers to ‘Identity politics’ (IE,January 30). Finally,the battle between the UIDAI and the home ministry over the collection of biometric data has been resolved with the government distributing the work equally between them. That is a welcome step.

— Saurabhi Sharma Chandigarh

Spare none

* This refers to ‘Write,wrong’ (IE,January 28). The writer,Shahid Siddiqui,compares Salman Rushdie with Dr Zakir Naik who was denied permission to visit the UK and the US for supporting the cause of Osama bin Laden. While Siddiqui speaks against Islamophobia,he doesn’t say a word about the condition of minorities in Islamic countries where non-Muslims are barred from constructing their places of worship,or have draconian anti-blasphemy laws. His conspiracy theory linking the US war on Iraq and Afghanistan with The Satanic Verses is also ridiculous. He goes on to say that had the book been about Jesus Christ,Rushdie would have been sentenced to death under the British anti-blasphemy law but forgets about the film The Last Temptation of Christ released in 1988 — the same year The Satanic Verses was published.

— Apoorv Tyagi Mumbai

Djoker is king

* By winning the Australian Open,Novak Djokovic has reinforced his position as the No 1 tennis player. He is now at the peak of his abilities and going through a remarkably successful run. He worked hard on his physical fitness and mental toughness to suit big-match situations. The five-set final against Rafael Nadal swung like a pendulum for nearly six gruelling hours and the two exchanged shots using every inch of the court. Nobody could even take a wild guess as to who would lift the trophy till the match ended. Djokovic-Nadal duels have now replaced the legendary rivalry between Federer and Nadal.

— Zulfikhar Akram Bangalore