Guns, not roses Sir ? So Sonia Gandhi is getting ready to fire the Bhagwat gun on the Bharatiya Janata Party (?Sonia seizes BJP?s Bofors?, March 18). A joint parliamentary committee probe into the sacking of the naval chief is likely to prove a similar stickjaw for the BJP?s gums as the Bofors is for the Congress?s, or more precisely, Madam?s. Had it not been for the curious fudging of issues Indian politics allows, a security matter of the country would not have been confused with a payoff scandal. Yet, since the bottomline of staying on in the corridors of power is to get at each other?s throats, the cause of an opportunistic, loudmouthed, litigation happy naval chief has to be upheld. Yours faithfully, M. Chaddha, Calcutta Academic question Sir ? Surabhi Banerjee?s appointment to the post of the pro-vice-chancellor (academic) of the University of Calcutta has caused a hue and cry. It has been alleged that Banerjee was awarded the position for her widely publicized biography of Jyoti Basu. The furore, however, seems directed more towards gaining political mileage for the opposition than the betterment of the academic environment of the university. Appointments to such posts are always controversial in the sense that seniority and merit of the prospective candidates do not always suffice as criteria for selection. The integrity of the candidate concerned also matters. Banerjee has both the required qualifications and experience for the post. She should not be discredited only because she is the biographer of a statesman who happens to be the chief minister of West Bengal. Yours faithfully, Ajit Basu, Chinsurah Sir ? In the news report, ?Teachings of Big Bs in education? (March 7), the correspondent has equated me with Surabhi Banerjee. I feel it necessary to clarify that in my case, I was invited by the minister for human resources development to make a presentation at the state education ministers? conference as a voluntary social worker. The presentation was on my experiment in imparting value based cost effective primary education. In Banerjee?s case, she was appointed pro-vice-chancellor (academic), apparently flouting all norms, rules and regulations for such an appointment. The comparison is therefore ill conceived. In the state education ministers? conference, the agenda included the educational policy document prepared by Vidya Bharati which caused a hue and cry. Some points were placed before the meet for discussion and suitable consideration. In fact, it was purely a democratic process. On the other hand, we find that in West Bengal, senior academic appointments, including those in universities, are made by the educational cell of the political party in power in the most autocratic manner and as a blatant distribution of favours. The unfortunate victim is education itself. Yours faithfully, P.D. Chitlangia, Calcutta Sir ? That the Communist Party of India (Marxist) could make a political appointment with such impunity, without caring even for the opinion of its allies in government, shows power corrupts and corrupts absolutely. The party?s state secretary, Anil Biswas, has even said that the party?s intervention to secure its interests in institutions of higher learning has been standard practice since 1953 (?CPM flaunts varsity stranglehold?, March 17). Is the public meant to feel grateful that the CPI(M) meddling in university affairs did not start any earlier? Or that it took so long for the educational set up to collapse? Yours faithfully, T.K. Biswas, Calcutta Letters to the editor should be sent to: The Telegraph 6 Prafulla Sarkar Street Calcutta 700 001 Email: the_telegraph_india @newscom.com Fax: 225 3240/41