Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday
Congratulations to DNA on completing three years. Although I buy some other newspapers too my family prefers to read DNA first. Keep up the lively reporting.
—Deepak Chikramane, via email

Wake up citizens!
The bomb blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad present the most pressing reminder that our intelligence set-up is hugely inadequate to take on the terrorist challenges our country faces today. This inadequacy stems from the fact that we never recognise intelligence gathering as a specialised skill that can be done by professionals. Unfortunately, being non-lucrative and lacking in perks, this profession is often looked down as a punishment for the police. The intelligence cadre should  be thoroughly revamped. We must recruiting brilliant personnel and offer them good perks and renumeration. Rather than address this basic problem, our efforts never go beyond the initial rhetoric and compensation packages for the victims. We need to focus on prevention of terrorism rather than merely curing its after-effects. The need of the hour is to institute a National Protocol for intelligence gathering that is insulated from all political interferences. Let us bear in mind that the perpetrators of violence and terrorism  have a singular purpose of  polarising our society along communal lines by spreading chaos.
—VV Narayan, Thane

II
The discovery of 18 live bombs in Surat is a mockery of the Indian security system (‘Deadly decoy: 18 bombs in Surat’, DNA, July 29). Earlier this week, bombs went off in Ahmedabad and Bangalore killing innocent civilians. What is the fault of these innocents who are killed? Indian intelligence agencies need to move fast to prevent such incidents.

Attacks like these also sow seeds of discord and suspicion amongst communities. We are a secular country and firm action is needed from the government to apprehend the culprits and punish them. Local community leaders should ensure that peace is preserved at all costs between  communities. Terrorists should not be allowed to succeed in peace-loving India, the land of “ahimsa” —  non violence.
—Rajendra K Aneja, Dubai

Incomplete list
In the third Anniversary edition ‘List of lists’ (DNA, July 28) surprisingly while listing 10 top statues you have not mentioned any of the statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, some of which are quite prominent in Mumbai. I think your compilation has erred somewhat as the importance of Chhatrapati Shivaji to this state cannot be underestimated and this is unfair to many of the great achievers of Maharashtra.
—Dayanand Bhat, Mumbai