We’re all Indians

Apropos of the on-going controversy over reservations in the private sector, I think nobody should be called a ‘Dalit&#14...

Apropos of the on-going controversy over reservations in the private sector, I think nobody should be called a ‘Dalit’. All of us are Indians and the private sector should serve the social cause by providing educational aid and opportunities for poor Indians to improve their skills. Indians, given their past, have latent talent, irrespective of their financial or social status. As Indians we should understand that we can rise only when everyone is given an equal opportunity. Getting the job, however, should be based on competition and merit, no matter the applicant’s social status. Only this will bring India at a par with other countries. I agree with Ramvilas Paswan that we should not ignore the poor be driven only be driven by the thirst for money and competition. A nation can rise only when there is unity. Let us, therefore, stop classifying people and call everyone “Indians”.

— Sunil Sharma On e-mail

Get back POK

• Kuldip Nayar is living in a dream land (‘A breakthrough can wait’, IE, Sept 7). Either he is a coward or he cannot face reality. Has he heard of the domino effect? Once Kashmir goes, the Northeastern states could follow, gobbled up by the adjoining countries. Khursheed Kasuri should be shown the door and no talks should place unless POK is returned to us. Natwar Singh is easily pressured because the UPA is a weak government. There are confusions, divisions and multiple power centres. The government must not fall into the Pakistani trap. It is dealing, not with cricketers, but politicians backed by Islamic fundamentalists.

— H.N. Patel On e-mail

Wrong title

• In the anchor story of September 9 (‘After 8 years, it’s screenplay by Karunanidhi’), your reporter says Paalaivana Rojakkal was his Karunanidhi’s last film. Puthiya Parasakthi in ’96 was his last film. Paalaivana Rojakkal was released in 1986. Your reporter should check her facts before writing for a prestigious newspaper like yours.

— Ram New Delhi

Bizarre comments

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• The comments of Tarlochan Singh, the chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities, border on the bizarre (‘It’s time Muslims check growth’, IE, Sept 9). It seems that he was not aware of the press reports that pointed out the inaccuracies in the census analysis.

— Tariq Siddiqui On e-mail

Russia’s history

• The Chechens have been assimilated into Russia through the use of force over many years (‘Russia says its underplayed school crisis’, IE, Sept 7). First the czars and then the communists harassed them. When the Soviet Union collapsed, every other ethnic group was allowed to go free. Even Ukraine and Belarus, which share a common history and culture, could not bear to be part of Russia. The Baltic republics were allowed to separate. But the Chechens, who have always resisted assimilation, continue to be frustrated. Leo Tolstoy has used some of their history in his novels, The Cossacks and Haji Murad.

— Suman P. Hyderabad

Tailpiece

• George Bush and John Kerry fight the election mainly on economic issues. Here, in India, we fight on votebank politics.

— R. Ganesan On e-mail