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E-mail from readers the world over
Date sent: Sun, 7 Jun 1998 23:36:17 -0700
Mr Panicker seems to be the most radical ultra-liberal of your all scribes. When 89.9 per cent of your readers ridicule him for his illogical opinions, he fights back with stubbornness. However, as soon as the threshhold crosses 90 per cent, he ridicules the majority with humour, but with the same vengeance. Brahmastra is equal to the atomic bomb! Even if modern missiles and atomic weapons can be compared to the Agnayastra, does he know that, compared to modern weapons of mass destruction, the ancient weapons were more potent but were either battlefield specific or individual specific? Besides, the ancient weapons were not manufactured by scientists, but by directly tapping Krishna's evolved yogic capabilities, which is why he is also known as Yogeshwar? And even if the present Pakistani administration is anti-Indian, I cannot agree with Panicker's implication that either Indians or Pakistanis are rakshas because the Pandavas and Kauravas were, just as the Indians and Pakistanis are, brothers hailing from same glorious ancestors.
Rasik Sanghvi
Prem Panicker replies: Search as I would, I find myself unable to find, either in my mind or in the piece in question, any of the "implications" imputed to me. Apparently the writer of the above mail has a problem distinguishing between a tongue-in-cheek piece, and serious analysis -- funnily enough, despite my having expressly indicated in the piece concerned that it was written in a lighter, off-the-wall, vein.
Date sent: Sun, 3 May 1998 10:48:04 +0800
The opinions expressed by Mr Krepon throw no new light on entrenched US beliefs on issues like non-proliferation, disarmament, nuclear apartheid and, crucially, China's role in nuclear exports over the years. His repeated assertions that US policies are consistent with global policies and are, therefore, embedded in some form of global consensus are really laughable. The US bureaucracy is prone to self-delusion when it comes to many international issues. The bottom line for US policies is that virtually all of them are driven by the country's own economic advantage perceptions (China is the obvious case in point), with global concerns coming second. Hence the seeming inconsistency in these policies when they are applied to differing global issues and to different countries. The most recent example of US national interests superseding global concerns has been the US reluctance on carbon emission reductions in the Kyoto climate change convention. The primacy of national over global priorities is legitimate and understandable in any democratically elected national government. But the US would gain more credibility if it were open about it instead of mouthing see-through platitudes about its self-proclaimed role of global peacekeeper, which it never was, although it is capable of becoming one if there is greater enlightenment within the government. The friction between US national policies and US global policies stems from the fact that the former calls on political skills, while the latter requires statesmanship. This distinction has been persistently lost on successive US governments. I am sorry to say it seems to be lost on intellectuals like Mr Krepon as well. I can't help but wonder why your publication had to interview Mr Krepon in the first place and why you had to publish the interview when it offers no new insight. Indeed, I get a sense of unreality about the whole affair as Mr Krepon's statements reflect a clear reluctance to acknowledge recent changes and its implications for the world.
K V Ramani
Date sent: Thu, 9 Apr 1998 16:43:28 +1000
Ashok Mitra is brilliant and I, as an Indian, take pride in that fact. But he is also hopelessly out of date and Stalinist in orientation. He has not understood that the information and communication revolutions have changed the world and there is need for great adaptations in Marxism if it is to survive at all! In one of his recent pieces, he said India must follow Cuba and Iraq if its foreign policy is to be respected. Surely the gentleman is not living in the beginning of the 21st century! Namboodripad, during the last decade or so of his life, mostly wrote irrelevant pieces which were proof of a senile mind. He even claimed that India was not an independent nation! I do not agree with anything that Ashok Mitra writes but I eagerly look forward to reading him. A vigorous democracy like India needs strong dissent, even if they are of the Stalinist variety and make no sense to normal people.
Dr G N Seetharam
Date sent: Thu, 09 Apr 1998 15:34:18 -0700
I think Captain Bhaskar's statement that "Pakistan does not have the talent" to design a missile is horse-manure. Indians and Pakistanis are closer in intelligence than commonly admitted. After all, we are born of the same blood -- before massive conversion by the Muslims separated us.
Date sent: Wed, 29 Apr 1998 14:11:56 PDT
I am originally from Pakistan. Of course, I don't live in Pakistan because I'm a Hindu. When my parents were kicked out of Pakistan, the slogan was "Hinduon ko mar ke khao." The Pakistanis said Pakistan is a holy Land ONLY for Muslims whereas the WHOLE world knows the Mughals converted everyone to Islam. Anyway, those were Hindu-killing days. NOW they are killing those Indian mujahirs who went to Pakistan??? This is funny. This race just can't live in peace. WE HINDUS CAME TO INDIA FROM PAKISTAN AND I HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ONE THING, INDIA WELCOMED US WITH OPEN ARMS. I LOVE INDIA AND TEARS STILL WET MY PARENTS' EYES WHEN THEY RECALL THE INCIDENTS OF 1947. THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HINDUS AND MUSLIMS. HINDUS HAVE A BIGGER HEART. God bless India. I AM DAMN proud of being Indian.
Date sent: Fri, 09 Jan 1998 11:17:30 -0800
Is Pentafour going to make it to reality, or is it just a day dream? Many people who have trained at PSEL are jobless. Nor is their training recognised at other places. So paying PSEL a huge amount does not help them. PSEL should concentrate on providing placement facilities to their candidates before expanding their project. Many people are realising the negative consequences they are going to face by joining Pentafour as a candidate. SO TAKE THE NECESSARY ACTION.
Date sent: Tue, 06 Jan 1998 23:39:46 -0800
The Government of India should use local technology when it is at par with foreign technology. In this case, the indigenous technology seems clearly superior. So why is the government against using superior technology which not only happens to be cheaper and would probably save millions in foreign currency, but will also encourage research in our premium educational institutes? Maybe, we just need to believe in our indigenous capacity to create technological solutions.
Rishabh
Date sent: Mon, 5 Jan 1998 20:52:31 -0800 (PST)
I beg to be pardoned for any outburst in this letter as I tend to take the issue of spreading HAM awareness in the country very seriously and would have appreciated the government's work if I had received my operator's license by now. With reference to Mr Vittal's column, I want to voice my views on the issue of HAM operation and licensing procedures. I fully agree with what he has mentioned in terms of setting up an umbrella organisation to cater to this activity. I am a HAM enthusiast myself, and have been awaiting my license for the past three years after having appeared for an examination conducted by the Borivli Monitoring station, Bombay, in 1994. Now, I would personally like to promote this activity in schools and such places, but for that, I need proof of my capability as an operator so that I can train people. It is sad that the WPC/government takes years to process such a small issue as a license for wireless operation which, ironically, in a country like China is issued within months (with some amount of restrictions). During my last trip to Hong Kong, I met an Indian who holds a HAM license from HK. With this license, he applied for one in China and received it in a month. Can India achieve this level of service? How soon will it happen? Then, in connection with my license application, I received a letter from an ex-DOT guy indicating that he would be able to process my license for a certain fee. I have personal reservations about backdoor approaches, so I have not yet pursued this avenue. But if this person guarantees a license within six months, just because he is ex-DOT, then what prevents DOT from processing HAM licenses earlier? Or do its employees wait to leave the organisation and start such activities so that they can make a fast buck? I would like to know if Mr Vittal would go through this mail; I would like to know his views on this topic. In fact, right now, the Indian I met in Hong Kong has indicated that he is interested in helping me promote HAM awareness amongst Indians. What I am trying to say is that there are people who would have done a lot for this country had it not been for the callous ways of the politicians and administrators. If a average middle-class Indian like me has to wait for years to get legal permission to operate HAM equipment, if he has to opt for alternative methods to get the licence faster, it diminishes one's interest in pursuing an activity that is both beneficial and interesting. Also, most celebrities have a HAM licence. Does it mean that one needs to be a celebrity to get a HAM licence faster? I hope the situation improves and pending licences are released ASAP so that people like me can legally own some HAM equipment and spread this activity further.
Date sent: Mon, 05 Jan 1998 16:50:38 -0600
Hats off to you guys for keeping a close watch on the progress of WLL Tech. You are doing a neat job. Keep it up.
Manoj Gopi
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 08:19:26 -0800
Did you mean 400 goats at Rs 40 each to get Rs 16,000 or did the poor drunks at Wadi settle for Rs 16,000, while the rest the army got an early new year present of the rest of the balance which should be Rs 144,000? The article is itself very interesting. It gives you an idea of how the Shiv Sena or Congress win elections in Maharashtra. We should suggest that people without a high school education should not be allowed to vote, so that the ones who have studied will not have to suffer under incompetent governments.
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 09:56:20 -0800
It is beautiful, but I was looking for some more photographs...
Uday Bhalla
Date: Thu, 25 Jun 1998 11:07:24 -0600
A well-written article that made me nostalgic for home. Thankfully, it was a balanced article unlike the usual travelogues that (dishonestly) lavish praise.
Anil Philip
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 16:42:40 -0400
Makes one feel good about India. Also makes one feel sad that art forms like sculpture are not pursued more rigorously and enthusiastically by us. Thank you for your feature. Would appreciate more features on such lesser known but exquisite craftsmanship. Thanks again!
Sai
Date sent: Wed, 28 Jan 1998 17:32:36 -0400
This is with reference to Farzana Versey's article, The root of all evil. Farzana, what's the option? Damning something is all right, but where is the alternative? As I understand it, a family makes a person a coward, since he/she would not do what needs to be done if it will harm his/her loved ones. Staying single is no viable option either. It only creates fatherless or even motherless children with no love, no care and no education. They are left to roam the streets and ultimately succumb to criminal activities, prostitution, drugs and the like. In my opinion, with no other viable and safe option, such articles have no value, and only serve to create tension in society. Keep such trash to yourself. My friends and I can do without your holier-than-thou attitude.
Vivek
Date sent: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 23:20:40 EST
Hogwash. Nobody knows what future holds. Only someone who is stupid will believe in these stories by so-called swamis. These swamis can only fool illiterate, naive people. I wish a paper like yours would not publish their forecast and give legitimacy/exposure to these kind of people.
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