PICTURE SPEAK
"Wood Worms", India Today, October 25	"Best & Worst", October 25

"The damaged havelis should be handed over to organisations that take care of heritage buildings. There might not be enough money to restore the damaged structures but there is surely enough to stop further damage and theft."

Swati M., on e-mail

"Only 11 out of 35 ministers of the UPA Government have scored 50 per cent or more. This means that more than half of the ministers did not even score 2nd division marks. India is being governed by second-rate politicians."

Rakesh Kumar, Lucknow

Performance Barometer

Punitive action should be taken against the non-performers ("Best and Worst", October 25). Ministers who are like square pegs in round holes are not only counterproductive but also put all goals envisaged for the ministry in reverse gear.

Lt-Colonel (Retd) Nageshwant Roy Vaid, Delhi

It is too early to hand out report cards to the UPA ministers. The Government should be given adequate time and a fair chance to show what it is capable of.

M.A. Ahad, on e-mail

When the compulsions of coalition politics dictate not only the formation of the Government but also its subsequent functioning, it is difficult to distinguish between the good and the bad.

Navneet Dhawan, Delhi

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh might not have a "sense of authority" and his Government might not have any "big ideas" but at least he is an honest man. It is better to have a prime minister who works than one who goes around doling out false promises.

Khursheed Majeed Lone, Handwara, Kashmir

Home Minister Shivraj Patil's rating is uncharitable. The home portfolio, even in the best of times, is one of the most difficult to handle. It is unrealistic to expect Patil to solve problems that have been simmering for decades within a few weeks. Besides, the success of the Home Ministry depends on the performance of the defence and foreign ministries.

Arun B. Srivastava, Patna

I am surprised that Patil was given 30/100 for the Home Ministry's performance. His handling of the trouble in the Northeast was atrocious to say the least. With him at the helm, the ISI and other terrorist groups like the Naxalites will have a field day. The UPA Government hasn't done much besides opening old cases of the NDA regime, which in no way serves the people.

Karan, on e-mail

I would like to know the basis on which you gave Laloo Prasad Yadav 50/100. So far he has done nothing to improve the Railways. He has been in the news only for things like kulhars, khadi and surprise checks. Of late, it seems he is spending all his time going after his political enemies. He might end up doing to the Railways what he did to Bihar.

Kalyan Muthukumar, on e-mail

I am surprised Laloo did not figure at the bottom of the list. No minister can be as bad as he is-siphoning off crores of rupees of public funds, taking his family on long trips at our expense and making a spectacle of himself at every available opportunity.

Rose John, Shimla

Going by the report cards many of our ministers are underperforming. And to top it all, we have a minister without portfolio who enjoys all perks of office but has no responsibilities.

George Olivera, Bangalore

Anyone with even a modicum of objectivity would assert that only a stroke of misfortune has landed India in the hands of the UPA. Most of the ministers don't seem to have much idea of what they are supposed to do. External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh is no doubt an erudite person but he seems to be a prisoner of the past. Nothing illustrates the utter inefficiency of the UPA better than the happenings in the Northeast.

T.S. Pattabhi Raman, on e-mail

Trying Times Ahead

Both small and big banks have their advantages and disadvantages ("The Coming Churn", October 25). But once the Reserve Bank of India's guidelines come into force it will be nearly impossible for old private banks to match steps with their big brothers. It is just a matter of time before the big fish swallow the smaller ones through merger or by other means.

Bal Govind, Bareilly

Double Talk

Jyoti Basu had once said that he could not sit back and watch West Bengal turn into an industrial desert ("Nothing Left", October 25). But going by his statements against Planning Commission Deputy Chairman M.S. Ahluwalia it seems that the Left is bent on turning India into an industrial desert.

H.R. Bapu Satyanarayana, Delhi

The statements on the economy by the communists strike a discordant note in the present scenario. It is time for them to change their attitude and make a positive contribution to India's progress.

P.V. Krishna, Mumbai

CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER

After becoming the back-office hub, India seems to be fast becoming the scrapyard of the world ("Ticking Time Bombs", October 25). This not only poses a security threat but could have serious health and environmental implications as well. Siddhartha Raj Guha, Jabalpur It is deplorable that poor labourers are exposed to unexploded ordnance and perhaps even radioactive material in scrap metal while the importers of the explosive scrap sit safely in their offices. The existing import policy for metal scrap should be amended in order to safeguard the lives of workers and also the public in general. Nalini Vijayaraghavan, Thiruvananthapuram

For a Clean Break

Is this another example of judicial activism where a couple of judges express their views on morality which, in their opinion, is good for the entire nation ("Divorced from Reality", October 25)? "Irretrievable" means something which is broken beyond repair. People all over the world are realising that it is better to part as friends than live together as enemies.

Som Sharma, Gurgaon

Big Problem

It is senseless to waste public money on incentives for family planning. The target should be achieved by withdrawing all government facilities from families that have more than two children ("Double Trouble", October 25).

Madhu Agrawal, Delhi

Merely formulating policies will not help unless people strictly adhere to them. People in remote areas should be sensitised about the positive impact of birth control and the Government should provide incentives to the poor.

Diana Sahu, Cuttack

Any sort of coercion is unlikely to work. Only when couples realise that it is to their advantage to have fewer children will family planning work in India.

D.B.N. Murthy, Bangalore

Wrong Representation

It was shocking to see the picture of a Dawoodi Bohra family with the caption relating to the growth rate of the Muslim population and the community's backwardness ("Numbers Game", September 20). The Dawoodi Bohras are a leading business community which is aware of family planning norms. Our educational institutions, Al Jamea-tus-Saifiyah, at Surat and Karachi have excellent infrastructure. If these are signs of backwardness, we are proud to be backward.

Fatema Daginawala, Surat

Index