Naïve argument

‘Can India learn to look beyond 1971?’ by Uday Balakrishnan (June 18) is rather utopian in suggesting that Narendra Modi is best equipped to bring about a change in the belligerent behaviour of Pakistan. Post-1971, AB Vajpayee took a number of steps to mend fences, but it only led to enhance sponsored terrorism against India. Modi’s swearing-in invitation to the Pakistani prime minister was followed by more border violations.

The crux of the matter is that Pakistan is ruled in reality by its military which sees Kashmir as the raison d’etre for its survival and supremacy in Pakistan. It is an assumption that united Pakistan would have been more tolerant.

YG Chouksey

Pune

Leave education alone

The clarion call given by Goverdhan Mehta, University of Hyderabad, to protect universities from political and bureaucratic meddling has come at a when even reputed universities have become the target of scams.

Academics should be left in the hands of educationists without interference from politicians and bureaucrats so that they can maintain standards and transparency, especially in conducting examinations and appointing faculty. The political class dabbling in the educational arena gives scope for conflicting interests without doing justice either to the varsities or the students.

HP Murali

Bengaluru

The NDA government is distancing itself from education which, apparently, is no longer being perceived as a prerequisite to progress. We long ago buried it under an omnibus HRD. Having started with the likes of Abul Kalam Azad in 1947 as the pioneering Union minister for education, today we make do with rough and ready hands for planting the saplings of future orchards of creative and technogical excellence.

Not only is basic education up to higher secondary starved of vital nourishment, whatever we can perhaps yet achieve through higher technical institutions is negated by an autocratic approach. Make in India has far bigger connotations than churning out artisans operating a lathe or working in a foundry. Technology and research that could define our future will become clerical, never inspirational.

R Narayanan

Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

‘She did nothing wrong’

Sushma Swaraj sought to help an Indian woman by trying to facilitate her husband’s travel. The service was for a suffering woman, not her husband. Even those convicted of murder and awaiting execution of the death sentence are allowed out on parole if a close family member has a serious health condition.

This is a well accepted humanitarian practice. The fact that Sushma Swaraj knows Lalit Modi well does not make any difference to the issue. She only wrote to the U K government to act according to procedure; the case against Lalit Modi has not been withdrawn. Considering the manner in which Quattrochi was allowed to go scotfree by the UPA government, no one in the Congress party can criticise the Modi government, particularly when Sushma Swaraj has done no wrong.

NS Venkataraman

Chennai

Check thoroughly

It is shocking that over ₹400 crore was spent on advertising Maggi noodles, and less than ₹20 crore on quality control. It is important to introduce a system of inspection of packed food items It is high time stringent laws were framed to arrest and penalise those concerned so that such cases are nipped in the bud.

Edison Mathew

Perumbavoor, Kerala

Just desserts

I fully agree with the views expressed in ‘Plain unfair’ by Sandhya Rao regarding the current Delhi imbroglio (June 18). The mischief being orchestrated by the BJP government through its willing tool, the L-G, only betrays its bitterness and sense of revenge at having been roundly defeated by the popular AAP in the Delhi election. The BJP fails to realise it is being closely watched by the ever vigilant electorate.

VS Aboobaker

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