The dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections has dented the credibility of the Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal (‘If the BJP is determined to put democracy in jail, then I am determined to run democracy from jail’, June 9).
The AAP had instilled hope in people, but look at where it is today. If this is how it goes, I seriously doubt whether the AAP will be able to win the next assembly elections in Delhi and Punjab.
Pankaj Tripathi,
On email.
Kejriwal cannot be written off that fast. He can make a comeback anytime. Immediately after he got bail from the Supreme Court, Kejriwal made a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.
Kejriwal said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was a thorn in Shah’s path, and that the BJP, under Modi and Shah, will remove Adityanath in a few months.
I believe that Kejriwal’s statement damaged the BJP’s chances in UP. Even though Kejriwal is in jail, he has a strong fan following.
Tigin Thomas,
On email.
End speculations
The quote by Raghuram Rajan made so much sense. Rajan will not enter politics (‘Point blank’, June 9). A person like Rajan will never make it big in politics. He is not made for it and has other interests. From here on, the media should not bother him with such questions.
Suresh Kurup,
On email.
SPG deserves praise
It was interesting to read about how the police and paramilitary personnel protect high-ranking politicians and visiting dignitaries in the country (‘Go through me first…’, June 9). Providing guaranteed and effective security to the prime minister and other important leaders is not easy. The SPG, which is empowered, is really good at coordinating with other agencies and has adopted some of the best security practices from all over the world. It is almost on par with the Secret Service of the US.
Ananda Swamy,
On email.
Review nuclear doctrine
Your cover feature on 50 years after India went nuclear was informative.
India definitely needs to review its nuclear doctrine (‘Who’s afraid of a new nuclear doctrine?’, June 9). The doctrine of ‘no first use’ is no longer required. Militarily, ‘no first use’ puts India in a disadvantageous position. Even when there is no nuclear restraint, we will continue to wield clout. No nation today can afford to sideline or ignore India. All strategic matters need periodical rethinking.
Yash Mathur,
On email.
Thank you for the wonderful articles on 50 years after Pokhran I. Over the years, we have had brilliant world-class scientists from Homi J. Bhabha to Anil Kakodkar who were part of the nuclear weaponisation and power development projects.
We must give special credit to Indira Gandhi for the nuclear experiment in 1974 and Atal Bihari Vajpayee for the nuclear tests in 1998. Credit should also go to Manmohan Singh for the civil nuclear initiative that established India as a responsible nuclear power. With enhanced capacity to make warheads and delivery missiles, India will have to match the capabilities of China for successful deterrence against a nuclear war.
It is important to use our nuclear capabilities to build more power plants to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
K.V. Jayaram,
On email.
I am an 80-year-old veteran of the Navy. The article by R. Prasannan—on how Indira Gandhi secured the borders, and ended food import before going for the Pokhran test—invoked nostalgia.
As a young sailor, in 1962, along with other defence personnel, I suffered the humiliation of the brutal attack by China. Though the Navy was not actively engaged in the war of 1965 with Pakistan, we were joyous when India won the war.
The year 1971 provided an opportunity for the Navy to prove its prowess and gallantry in warfare. The victory in that war made us all so proud. Another moment of great pride was when India conducted its first nuclear tests in Pokhran in 1974.
Those who say that everything in India was created after 2014, must read the article by Prasannan. Like Rome was not built in a day, India was also not built in a day.
George Mathai,
On email.
My take
I read Shashi Tharoor’s column on political vocabulary (June 2). The biggest “empleomanics” of them all is Rahul Gandhi. He is also a “throttlebottom”.
And who are the “politicasters”? Leaders like Jairam Ramesh and Mani Shankar Aiyar. I will call Arvind Kejriwal and his friends as the “highbinders” of Indian politics, as they are in prison for their shady deals. Uddhav Thackeray is guilty of “misprison”.
Finally, the 10 years of the UPA misrule was a notorious “kakistocracy”. Thank you, Tharoor, for your political vocabulary.
H.S. Gopal,
On email.
Great read
Anuja Chauhan’s ‘Divide and win’ (May 5) made for a great read. Her narration kept me hooked to the end. Let me congratulate her for the column.
M. Shaila Prasad,
On email.