• Congratulations to India on its win over Pakistan. It was wonderful to see the behaviour of the Pakistanis throughout the tournament. Just outstanding. For the first time in our history, possibly, India won the game and the crowd won the hearts. For the first time we saw crackers to celebrate India’s win in Pakistan. They really appreciated good cricket and we must extend our thanks to them. — Tapan Jindal On e-mail Irfan is our sher • Quoting Dharmendra from Ilaaka: “Ilaaka kutte billiyon ka hota hai, Sher jahan bhi jaata hai ilaaka usi ka ho jaata hai”..Javed Miandadji, our Irfan has truly emerged a lion (‘Irfantastic Dad’s message to Miandad: Gali ke ladke ne hi wicket lekar dikhaya’, IE, March 25). — Krishnan On e-mail Rethinking perks • Indian democracy is taking its citizens for a ride. Look at the number of ex-prime ministers and ex-presidents who, after ‘serving’ the people, are now enjoying costly comforts at public expense. There are now five in the former category and and two in the latter. While, as in the case of any ex-civil servant, there is nothing against their drawing their retirement monetary benefits, the way they are being provided perks like security cover, conveyance, and so on, is a big drain on the public exchequer. We need to rethink this. — O.Mathai Thiruvananthapuram Silly stance • Despite the news clarifying the US State Department’s stand that the granting of of non-NATO status will not have any impact on America’s good and close relationship with India, the Congress spokesperson continues to criticise the NDA government and states that the hype generated by the NDA government that India and the USA are natural allies is unfounded (‘Pak ally status won’t affect India ties: US’, IE, March 20). He wants the PM to explain if he was informed beforehand about this move. I think no government worth its salt would be able to divulge details in such a sensitive matter beforehand. US officials have been quoted as saying that “this is not something that we cared to advertise before”. — Subhash Baru Jammu Tawi Bihar’s Muslims • Apropos of Verghese K. George’s report on the Muslim-Yadav combination in Bihar (IE, March 19) I would like to correct a factual inaccuracy. During the Laloo era, since 1989, there have been many communal riots in Bihar, particularly during 1992-93, and later major ones at Sitamarhi and Sherghati but what distinguishes the Laloo regime is his immediate personal intervention to control the violence. His appeal in this aspect has not diminished. What irks the Muslim voters now is that they are yet to receive their due share in public employment, even at the level of constables, clerks, typists and in other non-gazetted posts as well as the lack of Urdu-medium primary schools and of facilities for the teaching of Urdu as the first language in secondary schools, at least in those areas that has a concentration of Muslims. But with all his shortcomings, the Muslims of Bihar largely see no alternative but to vote for Laloo’s RJD. — Syed Shahabuddin Delhi
