Easy catch, in the end

Sir — One wonders why The Telegraph had to announce Saddam Hussein’s capture by American forces with banner headlines, as well as devote the entire front page of December 15 to it, as though it were an earthshaking achievement. The capture is most unlikely to help the United States of America in Iraq since by its own admission, the Iraqi dictator was a “broken” man, who obviously could not have masterminded the violence of the last few months. Certainly not from his spider hole near Tikrit. At most his arrest might turn Hussein into a martyr, as well as free the hands of his opponents and former victims who hate the Americans equally but have only been held back by the fear of his return. As for the statements that it might take months to “break” Hussein, and the threats to put him to death, it makes one wonder at the third-degree that will be used to make him say whatever the Americans want. That it will have no effect on the Iraqi freedom struggle goes without saying.

Yours faithfully
Biswapriya Purkayastha

Family party

Sir — The “Great Indian tragedy” (Dec 12) has its roots in the feudal mindset bred into the Indian consciousness as a result of centuries of monarchical rule. The “mai-baap sircar” of the British did nothing to diminish this. If not Jawaharlal Nehru, then some other charismatic leader would have come up in India who would have founded a dynasty, endowed with the “divine right to rule”. Things may have been different if, in place of the autocratic Nehru, we had a truly democratic leader. That democracy is alien to India is seen from the ease with which political leaders here become autocratic; for example, Laloo Prasad Yadav. If the sealed pages of Abul Kalam Azad’s India wins freedom, were disclosed to the public, more interesting things about Nehru and the Congress would be known. Sadly, Najma Heptullah has taken possession of this vital testimony.

Yours faithfully,
C.V.K. Moorthy, Calcutta

Sir — It is shocking that an intellectual of the stature of Ashok Mitra takes such a limited view of the results of the assembly elections. While heaping all the blame on Sonia Gandhi, he ignores one important factor in these elections — good governance. It is a good sign for the future of Indian democracy that it is not personal charisma or non-issues like mandir-masjid, but the performance of the incumbent that has decided the verdict.

Yours faithfully,
Jayotee Bhattacharjee, Silchar

Sir — Sonia Gandhi knows her limitations and so do Congressmen. They rush to her rescue the moment she is attacked or is likely to be attacked. When Sharad Pawar and P.A. Sangma questioned her right to become prime minister, they ganged up to expel them although they had raised the question in the best interests of the party. They knew that Indians would never accept a foreign-born woman. The Congress lost despite Sonia Gandhi campaigning extensively in the states. So what do Congressmen do? They quickly pass a resolution reposing faith in her and say that Delhi was won because of her. In reality, Delhi was won because of the good work of Sheila Dixit and in spite of Sonia Gandhi.

Ajit Jogi’s suspension from the primary membership of Congress is yet another proof of Sonia Gandhi’s weak leadership. Ostensibly, Jogi was punished because he wrote a letter of support to the governor though he was not leader of the Chhattisgarh legislative party. Actually, Jogi paid for his carelessness, when trapped, in saying that Sonia Gandhi had agreed to support Baliram Kashyap and that dissidents in the Bharatiya Janata Party could talk to her for confirmation. Jogi couldn’t have said this without Sonia Gandhi’s permission.

Yours faithfully,
Vinay Agarwalla, Calcutta

It’s a woman’s world

Sir — Nilanjana S. Roy invokes the old whipping boy, the taliban, while talking about Coke muzzling Sushmita Sen (“Hushing Sush”, Dec 14). But for the taliban, a man propositioning a woman was a pariah; the taliban used to stone them as punishment. The “progressive” and “open” Feminist Gold-diggers Inc, on the other hand, deals in blood money, or sin money, if you like. So Coke must cough up Rs 1.45 crore as soon as a blackmail note comes in. No evidence, no investigation is needed because such things are “insensitive” to a woman. So the sensitive woman, in this case an ex-beauty queen who never made it in Bollywood, only has good ol’ blackmail to fall back upon.

An MNC, the favourite fall guy for the politically-correct taliban, pays up quietly because it knows that regardless of the facts, the allegation itself will feed fanatical bad press. Ironically, in this case, even after it paid up, Coke has not been spared the frenzied mud-slinging.

Yours faithfully,
Sandeep Mukherjee, Calcutta

Sir — Every Sunday, after reading the “Women” page of the “Look” supplement, I turn to the last page to find the picture of a scantily-clad woman alongside the list of television programmes. This is galling and the very opposite of everything that the “Women” page stands for. Is it necessary to highlight the “movies of the day” by resorting to such cheap gimmicks? Why can’t we have the hero’s picture on page 4 for a change, and that too for the better?

Yours faithfully,
Lalita Agarwal, Calcutta

Sir — It is incredible the amount of harassment girls commuting by public transport have to face daily. I have often seen men crowding the ladies’ section in buses even when there are no crowds and pushing intentionally whenever the brakes are applied. The police must post plainclothesmen in buses, especially those which pass near colleges. Also, girls must protest and protest loudly whenever they face a problem. Not all men are boors; many would be willing to help. I have myself ejected a ruffian from a bus after a lady complained. One idea is for women to carry a safety-pin which they may use if needed. We must check this menace before Calcutta becomes another Delhi as far as safety of women is concerned.

Yours faithfully,
Sourya Biswas, Calcutta