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'Thanks for providing the latest election results'

Dear Rediff: Email from Readers all over the world

Date sent: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 20:56:58 +1300
From: <msksasvc@ihug.co.nz>
Subject: Election Results & News

Thanks for providing the latest results.

The news articles were also very good. It would have been better if the articles were refreshed frequently along with the new ones. Anyway, it's an excellent performance on this site.

Vivek

Date sent: Sat, 28 Nov 1998 23:39:33, -0500
From: <CJLM07A@prodigy.com> (Mr Venkatarama I Muthuswami)
Subject: Your presentation of news and analysis

My daughter introduced me to your Web Site and I must thank her for it.

Yours is probably the best Indian news site I have so far seen on the Web. Analysis with news is probably the most helpful thing for someone living far away from India and who wants to keep in touch.

Please keep up the good work.

V Muthuswami

Date sent: 28 Nov 98 19:40 GMT+0530
From: <akulark@cal.tisco.globalnet.ems.vsnl.net.in>
Subject: Thank you, Rediff

I am a great fan of Vir Sanghvi. I am a great fan of Rediff. Both make a deadly combination.

Keep me posted about Rediff.

All the best to the Rediff team. A good job done.

Looking forward to more.

Ravi Kant Akula

Date sent: Thu, 26 Nov 1998 17:25:19 +0530
From: Ravi Deshpande Pictures <rdp@bom3.vsnl.net.in>
Subject: Wow!

Dear Prem,

Wow! What a lovely piece; a nice mix of travelogue and tales and sharp observation. I particularly liked the sepia bit.

Of course, there was the Bade Miyan and the Paliwal tale too.

Do try more. You have found a fan.

Ravi

Date sent: Fri, 27 Nov 1998 16:08:17 -0800
From: "vmenon" <vmenon@gateway.net>
Subject: Sukumar Azhikode going crazy

There is a tendency among some writers and poets of Kerala to attack religions. The other day Sugathakumari was critical of Vijay Mallya for his offerings at Sabarimala. This latest attack, on Christian missionaries, accusing them of drinking alcohol, is way out of line.

If Sukumar has an element of dignity in him, he should immediately apologise to the entire Christian community.

V Menon

Date sent: Sat, 28 Nov 1998 12:20:28 +0530
From: Jacob Varghese <varghesj@clsasia.com>
Subject: Christian priests are alcoholics -- Azhikode

Unfortunately, this is very true.

I'm a Christian, and I can tell you that the practice of having wine at communion, one of the most important of Christian rituals, leads most Christians to believe that drinking is all right.

Keralites lead India in alcoholism because Kerala has the highest number of Christians. However, this issue is being highlighted by the VHP only to embarrass the Christians.

Jacob Varghese

Date sent: Fri, 27 Nov 1998 17:08:00 -0600
From: "Kiran Nair" <kiran.nair@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Sukumar Azhikode vs the clergy

The growing intolerance against criticism has reached new heights (lows?), with this latest controversy over the utterances of Professor Azhikode. So what are they going to do now? Ban Professor Azhikode from opening his mouth?

I don't know about the percentage, but certainly a good number of Christian priests consume alcohol.

As the professor rightly pointed out liquor is an important part of festivities in the Christian community. I have many Christian friends who tasted liquor at a very young age during such festivities. That drinking starts early is common knowledge in Kerala.

Then, why this sudden "moral awakening" when someone mentions these facts in public? There are scores of Malayalam movies where Christian priests are shown consuming liquor openly. But no one has ever complained. So why this big hoo-ha now?

One can understand the reaction of the VHP fascists, who aim to gain some political mileage out of the imbroglio. But what happened to the clergy?

The bishop himself admitted that he does not have a head count of the number of teetotallers in his clergy. Then on what basis is he asking for an apology? That preacher of godly wisdom should realise that we live in a free society and freedom of speech is one of the pillars of our Constitution. If he doesn't like what Professor Azhikode says then he is welcome to rebut him or ignore him.

But he has no right to force the professor to retract or apologise. Instead, the bishop should put his foot down and stop exploitation of this issue by fundamentalists, both within and outside his community.

That's what is expected from a person in his position, not a he-said-she-said squabble.

Kiran Nair

Date sent: Sunday, November 22, 1998 10:37 PM
From: <ajajoo@zsassociates.com>
Subject: Harsha Bhogle's "Paean to the Proteans"

Good article. I think it highlighted most of the issues which explain the consistent successes of the Proteans. However, the following very important points were not identified:

Fitness: The Proteans are a fit side. That is the main reason they field well and individuals can play different roles (as identified by you in your report) very well.

Use of technology and pre-match planning: The Proteans make best use of technology (match videos etc) to develop a game plan. They dissect the strengths and weaknesses of every batsman, bowler and fielder, then develop a concrete game plan and rehearse it in the nets.

I think the lesson for India is not to throw away our strengths, that is, the development of talented individuals like Sachin etc, but it is to add to these strengths. Indians need to play more like a team. They have to be fit.

Only Sachin, Azhar, Jadeja and Robin Singh appear fit in the side. Ganguly, "the maharaja of Calcutta", is the most unfit player -- in every innings that he scores 70-odd runs he gets cramps, and he just cannot run quick singles. The team needs to plan for better fitness, using the latest technology.

Finally, they need a better leader -- someone who can out-think the opponents and adjust the game plan mid-game. Azhar, unfortunately, is not a thinking captain. But sadly, till WC99, India has no choice but to go on with him. Because we have no alternative.

Abhay Jajoo

Date sent: Saturday, November 21, 1998 1:34 AM
From: Shekar Kale <skale@informix.com>
Subject: Following the national cricket scene

I have regularly read all the cricket articles on Rediff and enjoyed them thoroughly. You are doing great work here.

I've also liked the recent articles of Harsha Bhogle. He has his own catchy way of expressing himself.

I would like to see more articles/news about Indian national cricket. I admit that not much live coverage is available, but reports from The Hindu and other newspapers just provide the scores. I would like to read a little about the match -- how was it played etc with some additional comments.

We could also do with a little analysis of the national scene.

I recently read the scorecard of the Board president's XI and the West Indies 'A' team.

Harbhajan Singh and Amol Muzumdar seem to have done well, as did Amay Khurasia. But these are just scores. I would like to know if the scores were made with some good batting.

Thanks for all your articles.

Shekhar Kale

Date sent: Monday, November 23, 1998 8:53 AM
From: Arvind and Rubi <ArvindSingh@MailCity.com>
Subject: Kambli is back with a bang!

Thanks for maintaining such a great site on Indian cricket. Everything is fantastic -- the queries, the rankings, the cricket news, the live coverage, your articles, the reader's views... Congratulations!

Vinod Kambli blasted 90 on 62 balls against Gujarat and announced his arrival in a great style. What great news it is for the Indian ODI team, which was stuck in the Dravid-Laxman-Sidhu rut. So now we know who to play at number 3.

Two other deserving contenders (based on their performance) are Amay Khurasia and Rohan Gavaskar. This is really amazing. We always lacked good left-handed batsmen. Now we have Ganguly and Robin in the team with Kambli, Khurasia, Gavaskar and Kanitkar waiting in the wings. Good luck to the Indian team in the coming ODI tournaments and the World Cup.

But I hope our selectors don't blow it due to regionalism, politics and favouritism.

Arvind

Date sent: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 11:26:29 -0500
From: CMohan <cmohan@uoguelph.ca>
Subject: Lovely Laila

The most gorgeous and talented actress I have ever encountered anywhere.

Date sent: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 11:05:36 EST
From: "Ashish Tayal" <ashish_tayal@hotmail.com>
Subject: The review of Soldier

Hats off to Faisal Shariff. I bet the review was much more interesting than the movie would have been. The story in the review itself got so complicated that I lost track of what all is happening.

I can imagine what it would have been in the movie. I sincerely thank Faisal for going through so much pain to watch this movie so that he can save our time, money and, most important, the agony through which we would have gone.

Ashish Tayal

Date sent: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 08:16:45 -0600
From: "Vinod Pillai" <vpillai@admin4.hsc.uth.tmc.edu>
Subject:The review of Soldier

Poorly organised. The movie goes nowhere near Baazigar. Only the title song is good.

How Readers responded to Rajeev Srinivasan's earlier column

Earlier Mail