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Magazine
MAIL BAG
Going nuclear
“Deeper into the morass” by M.V. Ramana (Magazine, May 11) reflects a different and humanitarian perspective on the visible shift in the attitude of government towards nuclear disarmament. Now the policy is to develop the arsenal on the ground of self-defence. It is unfortunate that India’s strategy underpins the hypocritical non-proliferation policy of the United States which has the largest nuclear arsenal. The example of third class railway compartment syndrome is strikingly amusing. The author has rightly pointed out that the impact of the expenditures on nuclear arsenal falls upon the poor and the vulnerable.
V.K. Sathyavan Nair
Kottayam.
The excellent article by M.V. Ramana exposes the opportunistic shift in the stance of the Government with regard to nuclear deterrence and the utter folly of such a nuclear policy. (May, 11). The article concludes with Mahatma Gandhi’s observation following Hiroshima and Nagasaki . Years later, on behalf of the Gandhi Peace Foundation, Rajaji, despite his advanced years, led a delegation to Russia and the U.S. to plead with the heads of these States for total disarmament. His meeting with J.F. Kennedy was historic. We have made all that meaningless and even look hypocritical.
V. Krishnamachari
Mumbai
The article has convincingly argued that the Pokharan test a decade ago has not significantly brought about a reduction in our expenditure on conventional military hardware which it was supposed to achieve. While it may be argued that it would be folly not to build up a nuclear arsenal to defend ourselves from inimically disposed neighbours, it seems a greater folly to do so as we will never be able to use it under any circumstances. It imposes an unacceptable burden on our limited resources which may profitably be utilized for the further economic and industrial development of the country.
C.P. Srinivasan,
Chennai
Writers who have the courage of their convictions, stand out from the rest by giving expression to their forthright views on issues of public interest. M.V. Ramana undoubtedly belongs to this category. His blunt comments on the opportunistic shifts in the stance of the Indian government with regard to the sensitive issue of nuclear deterrence, within a short period of 12 years from 1996 to 2008, bear ample testimony to this. The article, which reveals his desire for total nuclear disarmament, was very interesting.
K.D. Viswanaathan,
Coimbatore.
Inspiring examples
The article on young grandmas(!) by Aditi Seshadri (May 11) is encouraging to other women in their sixties. By keeping themselves busy and fit, these five women have not only become self-dependent but also are ready at any moment to help their kith and kin. This will foster mutual affection and affability in the family and their grandchildren will take them as role models.
Shanthi Bhaskarm
Chennai
Competitive sport
Apropos Ramachandra Guha’s “The tattered ideal” (May 11), in the present day competitive world, commercialised by globalisation of economies, even sports have been reduced to the level of winning and losing with a scant regard for human values or even the sanctity of life. Painfully, national rivalries come to the fore on the sports-grounds where even the political ideologies are propagated and sometimes achieved.
Ved K. Guliani,
Bangalore
Controlling Alzheimer’s
The article by Dr. Ranjan Duara , “Reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s” (Magazine, May 11) was very informative and useful, especially to senior citizens like me who have crossed 70 and taken refuge in a retirement community. The symptoms and risk factors of the disease have been explicitly propounded and put forth. The doctor’s instruction that with proper care the prevalence of the disease can be controlled should be taken note of.
T.V. Ramamurthy,
Chennai
Socio-economic causes
With reference to Luv Puri’s article “A return which is not easy” (Magazine, May 11), the root cause of all the problems faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir is the extra-territorial ambition of Pakistan who encourage religious extremists to attract youngsters to make them full-fledged terrorists. J&K governments over the years paid little attention to the socio-economic problems of the people. If India and Pakistan are genuinely interested in the welfare of the people of Kashmir, they should make a concerted effort to save the youngsters from the religious extremists by making their lives more meaningful.
P. U. Krishnan,
Ooty
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