Letters Past Masters Dinanath Batra is right when he says that history is never 100 per cent true ("Here's a New Yesterday", December 10). Look at the "it is said" tags in the passages from the book written by R.S. Sharma and referred to in the box alongside the article. Are history books meant to give currency to hearsay or go by the enlightenment theory of history? One finds various confusing versions of the return journey of Guru Tegh Bahadur from Assam in the book by Satish Chandra. To the mature, these show only the writer's very subjective, leftist, anti-religious leanings. Dr Jagdish Batra, Sonepat Those entrusted with the reins of educational planning must themselves be intellectually intrepid and morally irreproachable. If our "brilliant" educational planners are ever ready to prostrate themselves before those who wield political power, then there is no reason why unscrupulous political ambitions will not succeed in unabashedly trampling cherished democratic norms and values. Asha Lal, Allahabad

What will it take to awaken our political class and get it do something about terrorism ("The Day India Was Targeted", December 24)? Our politicians only give fiery speeches and do nothing. If this incident does not awaken them, then nothing else will. Pakistan-based terrorists know that they can do what they want, there is nothing that India can do to stop them. If they get caught, they will be escorted back to Pakistan by some minister. If India is worried about a full-fledged war with Pakistan, what does it think this is? Pakistan knows that India is ruled by a bunch of old men who do not have it in them to do the right thing.

Sandeep Lal, on e-mail

I could not help note how differently the US responded to a similar challenge to its nationhood. Americans were galvanised into action and their national resolve was insurmountable. We, on the other hand, are content to pass the buck, find fault and bicker endlessly, smug in the belief that this is someone else's problem. Those who made the supreme sacrifice will be conveniently forgotten after some ritual tokenism, their dear ones left to fend for themselves.

Arun Mehra, Delhi

The main reason for the attack on Parliament was the Government's inability to solve the Kashmir problem within a reasonable time. India does not have the financial capability, energy or time to waste in a prolonged conflict with Pakistan. It is high time we solved the Kashmir problem and not created a fresh one.

Ravi L., Chennai

Major Margins

The very fact that the tourism industry—notwithstanding the tumbling tariffs—is able to not only survive but actually thrive shows how mercilessly the gullible tourist has been fleeced in the past ("Travel Bonanza", December 17).

Dr Amit Banerjee, Delhi