One cannot disagree with P. Chidambaram that there is a need for a higher growth rate for the country ("Jobless Growth", January 7). However, his fixation with an 8-9 per cent growth rate to the exclusion of all else could have cost us dear when he scuttled the defence allocation to a meagre 1.8 per cent of the GDP. It is providence that he was not the finance minister at the time of the Kargil mishap. Perhaps not many are aware of the turnaround in the defence allocations brought about by the present Government. If not for that, we could have been in a far more embarrassing situation today.

-Baljit Brar, on e-mail

Goad On Small Things

The write-up dispelling the myth of Arundhati Roy's political convictions was excellent ("The End of Dissent", January 7). It was sad to see Roy hijack a myriad causes and churn them into a cacophonic media mess, only to back out after achieving little for the cause but much for self-promotion. Many of the causes she promoted seem to have been more hurt than helped by her confrontational attitude. Besides, her perfunctory, knee-jerk rejection of anything American is disturbing. Crying hoarse from the visitor's gallery is easy, giving meaningful suggestions is tough, and far more difficult is to actually work towards one's convictions. Roy is a good writer but she would do well to stick to fiction.

-Joshua Barton, on e-mail

Truth Betrayed

Unwittingly, Osama bin Laden has done yeoman's service to humanity ("How He Changed Our Lives", January 7). He has shown us what "jehad" truly is-a cowardly act of terrorism against innocent people. And to think all this while Muslim scholars led us to believe that it stood for the purging of oneself of the evils within.

-Venkat Subramanian, on e-mail

Winds of Change

The new breed of directors has set a trend where integrity of approach is far more important than masala stuff ("Changing Direction", January 7). The new generation has proved that there is life beyond Switzerland and Austria. In the age of Riverdale romance that is corroding the creativity of films-even veteran filmmakers like Subhash Ghai and N. Chandra have fallen victim to it-the trend set by the new breed of directors will hopefully gain momentum with more offbeat films in future.

-Rakesh Mohapatra, Bhubaneswar

Correction

The picture in the article on Robert Vadra dissociating himself from his father and brother was wrongly identified as that of Richard Vadra ("In-law as Outlaw", January 21). The error is regretted.
-Editor

FOR SUBSCRIPTION ASSISTANCE

CALL AT: DELHI: board numbers: 3352233, Ext. 165/173/179 Toll free numbers: 1600111155 (Delhi only) Tele/Fax 3352874 Fax 3712998 KOLKATA: Tel 2821922, 2827726, 2825398 Fax 2825398, 2827254 BANGALORE: Tel 2212448, 2290562, 2218343 Fax 2218335 MUMBAI: Tel 4444423/4/5/6 Fax 4444358 CHENNAI: Tel 8531605, 8591729, 8532247 Fax 8532178.
WRITE IN: WE CARE, The India Today Group, Post Box No. 141, New Delhi-110001. e-mail: wecare@intoday.com