Satanic Forces

You deserve to be commended for anointing Osama bin Laden the Newsmaker of the Year ("How He Changed Our Lives", January 7). The evil incarnate has become a demigod for fanatic Muslims and a force, albeit negative, to be reckoned with. He will be remembered by posterity as the man who not only changed our lives but also affected the mindset of millions across the globe. It is now for the people to accept the Holy Koran either as it was revealed to Prophet Mohammed or as interpreted by bin Laden.

S. Balakrishnan, on e-mail

Letters Elements of War We can win over Pakistan without actually fighting it ("Raising the Stakes", January 7). The Indus is the only prominent river in Pakistan and four of its five tributaries-Jhelum, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas-meander through Kashmir. An agricultural country, Pakistan supports its farms from the water of the Indus. If we make dams on its tributaries, we can force Pakistan to concede defeat, never mind the international treaty on water sharing. When Pakistan can support terrorism in India why can't we make dams well within our border to fight back? Gautam Shahi, on e-mail It is time India freed itself of all restraints to teach Pakistan that it should mind its own business. The US has always advised India to exercise restraint. The same logic should now apply to Pakistan. Pressure should be built on the US and Indian governments to end terrorism in the Indian subcontinent. Supratik Biswas, Mumbai

Personifying the devil, bin Laden projected Islam as a predatory religion suppressing women, enforcing a barbaric legal system, sanctifying terrorism against non-Muslim regimes and communities, and holding Afghanistan captive to fossilised Islamic culture. To ensure that a diabolic character like him is not born again to discredit Islam the liberal Muslim clergy of the world should get together and redefine their religion in terms of its relations with other religions and cultures.

Sharad C. Misra, Mumbai

Terrorism had adumbrated all virtuous achievements of humankind in the past year. It is ironical that a murderer becomes a messiah and gets glorified for all his devilish deeds. What has the world come to?

K. Chidanand Kumar, Bangalore

Penal Code

The item on Governor J.f.r. Jacob was factually incorrect ("Down With the Penalty", January 14). It is malicious to say that Governor Jacob reduced the penalty of MLAs overstaying in government accommodation. The decision on this was taken in a House Allotment Committee meeting on November 28, 1996 during the tenure of the previous administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh and Punjab governor General B.K.N. Chhiber. As it was decided that similar cases would be adjudicated by the home secretary, UT, Chandigarh, General Jacob is not responsible for this "act of benevolence".

R.S. Gujral, Home Secretary, UT, Chandigarh

Not a Minor Issue

V.K. Malhotra's comment that "action against Pakistan only angers minorities" is abhorrent and displays a corrosive shallowness in outlook ("Yes, No, Maybe", January 7). We need to put differences of faith behind us and unite in the fight against terrorism from across the border because patriotism cuts across religion, ideology and social standing. To assume that one's faith decides whether one is a patriot or a traitor has two very unpleasant implications: one, it retrogrades a modern state to medieval sectarianism and second, it assumes that only people of one faith can be true patriots. It is time for all of us to express indignation at the parochial attitude of Malhotra and his ilk, and make people with divisive opinions the real minority.

Rupin Jayal, on e-mail

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