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Its a good sign that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart,Wen Jiabao,have agreed to meet in New Delhi in December
Its a good sign that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart,Wen Jiabao,have agreed to meet in New Delhi in December (Talking straight,IE,October 30). India and China are the fastest growing economies and must cooperate to increase bilateral trade and cultural exchanges. But this doesnt mean India shouldnt express its concerns about China issuing stapled visas to Kashmiris and laying claims to Arunachal Pradesh. The Chinese premier must give assurances that China will desist from such practices. Apart from this,the Chinese presence in Gilgit-Baltistan is also a matter of concern. As a powerful Asian state,China should support Indias bid for a permanent seat at the UNSC.
R.K. Kapoor Chandigarh
Side of caution
The Hanoi meeting between the Indian PM and his Chinese counterpart seemed to underscore a pragmatism on both sides. But with China,one should always err on the side of caution. China scrupulously practises this as its mantra when it deals with us. China considers its relations with India as a long bout of attrition,where it delivers no scoring punches but keeps jabbing at our sore spots,be it Arunachal or stapled visas. Even subsequent to Hanoi and the December visit of the Chinese premier,there may be no perceptible change in Chinese attitudes. We should reciprocate likewise. Indias geopolitical location makes it a convenient fulcrum for other nations for furthering their own interests. We need to acquire greater economic clout to get at the levers,moulding opinions and attitudes of nations.
R. Narayanan Ghaziabad
Nothing adarsh
The Adarsh Housing Society scam has once again exposed the weakest side of our political class (Dim Diwali ahead for Chavan,IE,November 1). When it comes to taking advantage of a loophole,influential people lose no opportunity to make use of their status/influence. Perhaps nobody would have known about the Adarsh scam had some dissatisfied person not raised the alarm. Hopefully,the government will rise above party politics and petty considerations and clean up the Augean stables of corruption.
R.J. Khurana Bhopal
Keeping them loyal
I agree with Coomi Kapoor that the system of party whips is not conducive to the democratic functioning of Parliament (Ways to loyalty,IE,October 30). While the anti-defection law may have succeeded in checking rampant horse-trading,its stringent checks on plurality of opinion within parties are uncalled for. This is primarily because decision-making within parties is far from democratic,with power usually lying with small and closed groups at the top. Then,in some cases,as with the Congress,the ultimate authority,quite clearly,lies with an individual. So the anti-defection law needs to be reconsidered for our changed needs.
Gurpreet S. Goraya
Mohali
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