Opinion Wrong means

However,the comparison of the proposed bill with the Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act is misplaced. In counter-insurgency operations,it’s desirable to give a police officer,in warranted circumstances,search and seizure powers without going to the magistrate. Only their misuse by unscrupulous officers needs to be checked.

— Arvind Jasrotia,Jammu

Causes & effects

* This refers to ‘We,the thieving people’ and ‘The PM’s speech’ (IE,April 23). Ironically,the proposed Jan Lokpal bill draft suggests a dictatorial arrangement run by individuals with “unimpeachable integrity”,who are of course selected or elected by the “corrupt and undependable” people manning so-called democratic institutions. No doubt,there’s an urgent need for stringent measures to curb corruption. Anna Hazare’s movement and the “civil society” protest need to be viewed as a reaction out of frustration. The solution needs to be found carefully,after adequate and intelligent deliberations.

— Ved Guliani,Hisar

Secrets ops

* This refers to ‘No secret talks with Kayani,says PMO’ and the editorial ‘Talk to Kayani’ (IE,April 25). While one was reassured by the PMO’s assertion that no secret talks were undertaken,one was bewildered by your urging the prime minister to enter into such talks if he hadn’t already done so. Why should we be in a desperate hurry to engage Pakistan’s strongman,ignoring its elected representatives?

— M. Ratan,New Delhi

General discussion

* I agree with the editorial ‘Talk to Kayani’. Dr Manmohan Singh must be congratulated for his cricket diplomacy. It’s good that General Ashfaq Kayani has realised relations with India have to be normalised for peace to prevail in the region. Dr Singh should seize this opportunity and set up official channels for direct talks with him.

— R.K. Kapoor,Pune

Test bribe

* This refers to Jean Drèze’s ‘The bribing game’ (IE,April 23). Kaushik Basu’s suggestion is a desperate measure,proclaiming the failure of government to check corruption. It provides two handsome inducements,protection and recovery of the bribe paid,to the bribe-giver to trap the bribe-taker.

Basu himself concedes it’s unlikely to motivate “serial” bribe-givers. Drèze rightly argues that the bribe-giver has the option of not reporting the bribe and still not face punishment. This could be corrected by withdrawing his immunity if he doesn’t report the case within a given time. This is an idea worthy of a trial.

— Y.G. Chouksey,Pune