• Your editorial ‘Naval power gazing’ (April 27) which expresses satisfaction with the evolution of the Naval doctrine and applauds its being placed in the public domain needs to be tempered by an assessment of likely long-term repercussions. The Navy’s aim to cross the seas to project power far away in protection of NRI assets and to practice naval (gun-boat?) diplomacy is likely to be noted with concern in countries around the Indian Ocean and even farther away. They will certainly like to know whether strategically India is moving away from the objective of merely safeguarding its land mass and the 200 nautical mile economic zone off the coast, and aiming to become an interventionist power. If the Army and the Air Force doctrines are also on lines similar to the Naval doctrine, certain signals are being sent to the world community. Commanders of the three services meet routinely and separately twice a year and discuss various issues. By their nature, such matters require secrecy. By pre-maturely releasing to the media certain desired objectives which would, over the years, require weapon systems acquisitions, enormous budgets, and which may have to be eventually pared down to fall in line with India’s military objectives and financial affordability, unnecessary controversy is likely to be generated. It would be infinitely more mature and prudent if the government were to make a statement in Parliament on India’s military aims and objectives, instead of the three services, which are now “integrated” with the Ministry of Defence, individually releasing their “doctrines”. — Ajit Kumar New Delhi On dynasty • What a sorry state our democracy is in (‘In UP, the Rahul effect’, IE, April 30). A popular national party reduced to a dynastical, feudalistic party. What would Jawaharlal Nehru have thought of the Congress’s current set-up! — Saratchandran On e-mail Opposite directions • Ashok Malik has presented contradictory strategies to resuscitate the BJP which is a bit gloomy after opinion polls have begun to forecast a close finish (‘BJP, the morning after’, IE, April 29). The BJP is deeply rooted in the RSS ideology of Hindutva. Most of its leaders are or have been active RSS members. To suggest that it should “develop independently of the RSS” is just not possible. At the same time, the stratagem not “to de-ideologise governance” runs counter to his earlier suggestion of breaking away from the RSS. As far as “minorityism” is concerned, the talk of two lakh jobs for Urdu teachers smacks of an attempt at disinformation. Since Independence, Muslims have been ignored, with the result that they are fast becoming the least developed community in the country. Muslims are seen as just a vote-bank and remembered during elections. The so-called “minorityism” is used by all parties. Some are for it and some are against it. But minorityism is just a paper tiger. When it comes to the actual ground assessment of this phenomenon, it sums up to a nought for the minorities. — Mohamad Junaid Aligarh Voteless on E Day • It is good that these celebrities have brought a relevant issue to light (‘Polls apart from the name game’, IE, April 30). The Election Commission must work out a solution. The list must be the responsibility of the EC. With no change in address, there is no reason for the names to be missing. — I.R. Sharma On e-mail
