The BJP is today paying a heavy price for its incoherent stand on its ideology and principles. Till the time the party formed the NDA, it held the Hindutva card close to its chest. Immediately after coming to power, the BJP shunted the Hindutva issue onto the backburner and tried to present itself as a more “secular” party to appease its partners in power. Now, when it is back on the Opposition benches, the BJP is once again planning to revert back to its old Hindutva plank to woo the masses! — V. Rajesh On e-mail Missing Arafat • Yasser Arafat's death marked the passing of one of the most influential figures on the world political scene. India lost a beloved friend. Arafat was not only leader of the Palestine movement but also a symbol of hope for the world’s oppressed peoples. — Bidyut K. Chatterjee Faridabad A sad day • The incarceration of the most revered Kanchi Shankracharya in a common jail on the eve of Diwali is most unfortunate. If the arrest was inevitable, the seer could have been placed under house arrest in some more acceptable place and further investigations could have taken place. If our legislators can continue to make the laws after being charged for breaking the laws, surely a holy man could have been shown some courtesy till the charges against him were established? However, too many intrigues bring unnecessary disrepute to our holy places. Huge unaccounted money and power can lead to the criminalisation of religion. Devotees must be vigilant about the management of the religious places. Can we think of the professional management of all religious places? — Raghubir Singh Pune Simple comparisons • Jaithirth Rao hopefully would have identified the same virtues in George Bush before the election rather than merely after the polls (‘This one’s for Marta’, IE, November 12). He draws a rather simplistic comparison with Winston Churchill. Let’s, in the same vein, compare Dubya with Hitler. Hitler was simplistic, had a one-point agenda of Aryan supremacy. Hitler was not afraid of bodybags. Hitler was not bothered about the rest of the world’s position on issues dear to him such as occupying Poland. Hitler came to power through an election, democratically. — Vishwanath Bangalore You got it • My sincere thanks to Jerry Rao for a wonderful column regarding our war against terrorism, comparing it to some of the world’s conflicts and personalities in the past. Rao’s thoughts are enlightening. — Donna Fuller On e-mail Good work! • I write to congratulate the staff on the presentation of the newspaper. The articles are well researched and presented; the columnists are well respected luminaries in their own fields who speak as much from experience as they do from knowledge. Lastly, the paper covers a diverse range of topics while not compromising on detail. In comparison with other Indian newspapers, this is one of the few that is not given to sensationalism or gossip. — Karan Maheshwari Mumbai
