• Nowadays we are hearing of election fever in the US and much political capital is being extracted from outsourcing (‘Call it cross-sourcing’, IE, March 22). The so-called mighty superpower and patron of free trade is sounding rather protectionist. The United States must accept that outsourcing is a reality — as its secretary of state, Colin Powell, agreed just the other day — and adapt to it by creating alternative jobs, rather than by attempting to ban the migration of jobs. — Nitin Kumar On e-mail To the classroom • Educator's Backyard’ (IE, March 21) shows that while the powers that be are wasting their time on controversial matters like the IIM fee reduction, ordinary people in India are being denied the basic ingredients of the right to life as guaranteed under the Constitution. Stories like these must serve as a wake-up call for our politicians, bureaucrats and academicians. They must know that such casual behaviour will no longer be tolerated. — Deepak Kapur Chandigarh Miles to go • I have to disagree with former Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan’s comment that by and large we have done a good job (‘I vouch for Indian democracy’, IE, March 22). The Election Commission has worked extremely hard to create a fair and free election system, but lots of problems remain. Criminals and corrupt politicians still are very much a part of the electoral process in India. Till the system is fully cleansed, we will have no cause for self-congratulations. — Arvind Amin On e-mail Timing is all • How refreshing that commentators are finally beginning to see through Pakistan’s cunningness and its mastery in manipulating the American administration (‘Praising Gen not right till Osama held: NYT to Powell’, IE, March 22). I suspect that Pakistan President Pervez Musharaf has a plan to deliver Osama bin Laden at the right time to get maximum American reward. I recall that in 1971 the Nixon administration turned a blind eye to the Bangladeshi horror perpetrate by Pakistan because it helped Kissinger make a secret trip to China. — G.S. Satya On e-mail It’s unparliamentary • The uncouth and ungentlemanly statements being made by some BJP and RSS leaders not only against Sonia Gandhi but also against Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru show how much the political debate has degenerated in India. The voter should punish such politicians. — Anu Chatrath On e-mail Let’s face it • The argument that people will vote for the Congress party because they see Rajiv Gandhi in his son Rahul’s face is really stretching it (‘Looking for the light, Cong goes for Son Rise’, IE, March 22). Does the Congress still think that people vote on the basis of a candidate’s face? — Krishna Prasad On e-mail
