Scam tainted

Scam tainted
Home minister RR Patil has further damaged the cause of Sharad Pawar by rushing to his defence (‘Uddhav flays RR over Balwa slur’, April 2). It is a judgmental error on Patil’s part to expose the contradictions of Sena’s public postures and its private dealings. The Thackeray scion, in his no-holds-barred verbal retaliation, thoroughly exposed the business nexus between Shahid Balwa, Vinod Goenka and Sharad Pawar. Being on weak wicket, it is high time Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule defended their own cause. The financial greed seems to be only growing with each passing revelation. But for some inexplicable reasons, he continues to remain invincible. What makes Pawar such an exception to the rule is the big mystery.
—JVR Gopal, via email
 
Gullible PM
CBI’s chargesheet wants us to believe that A Raja ‘misled’ and ‘misrepresented’ to PM, which led to the colossal 2G spectrum scam (‘Raja misled prime  minister, says CBI’, April 2). Earlier too, the PM was deliberately sought to be let off the hook by claiming that ministry of personnel ‘misled’ PM in the CVC appointment fiasco. The same lame excuse in all likelihood will be peddled for more work-under-progress scams. Are we being led by a PM, whose gullibility is peaking with each passing scam perpetrated by ministries and ministers directly under him? Does he think that such gullible excuse would give him legal immunity and let him off the hook? On the contrary, it is getting clear that he is being deliberately manipulated by powerful forces both within and without his government. And that he is obliging them.
—J Harikant, via email
 
World champions
At last, India has become the cricket world champions (‘We rule’, April 3). MS Dhoni and his boys deserve our congratulations. The team won the finals almost flawlessly. No doubt, Sri Lanka gave a tough fight but in the end Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Dhoni and Yuvraj made it look an easy victory. The nation and the team had two wishes; one to win the cup for the country and especially for Sachin Tendulkar and another that Sachin gets his hundredth century. India won the cup, but Sachin did not get his century. Tendulkar is a team player and knows very well that however great an individual player maybe, victory can only be achieved if the entire team contributes. Unfortunately, much hype has been created around him, as if he is supposed to get a hundred in every match he plays. No wonder, when Sachin and Sehwag got out, everyone felt that we had lost the Cup. But other members’ contribution made it possible. Also with Sachin getting out early, Dhoni found his form and his confidence. This win, like the others, was the result of team effort.
—Anil P Bagarka, via email

Social revolution
The basic question should not be why the rich or super rich have a bias against the girl child (‘Why the female bias among the well-off?’, April 4). If the decline is due to female foeticide then the root cause why people opt for it has to be addressed. The society, by and large, perceives a girl child as a liability and the attitudes towards marriage expenses and the subsequent treatment given to a girl substantiates the fact. The declining gender ratio is a result of this hard fact. No reservation of any type is going to be of help. We need a social revolution and I do hope that like the Arya Samaj and Brahmo Samaj of yesteryears, a new Samaj order would emerge.
—PRV Raghavan, via email

Against corruption
This is with reference to ‘Hazare presses for Lokpal Bill, sits on fast unto death’, (April 5). It is time that entire India, particularly the youth, wholeheartedly support Anna Hazare in his battle against corruption. He has correctly accused prime minister Manmohan Singh of shielding corrupt leaders.  His fast-unto-death reflects the common man’s disillusionment with the Government’s failure to tackle corruption. His demands for the immediate introduction and implementation of Jan Lok Pal Bill is the need of the hour to weed out corruption. We do not want any more appointments of ‘yes men’ by unscrupulous politicians. His hunger strike should come as a wake-up call for all bureaucrats and politicians that it is time to introduce transparency and accountability in governance.
—Valli S Rajan, via email