PICTURE SPEAK

“60 Years of Independence”, July 2, 2007

“Schools and colleges in the country should distribute the copies of this weekly free of cost so that the students can take stock of the events of the past.”

K. Pradeep, Chennai

Far from Independence

After 60 years of Independence, India is socially more fragmented today than it was earlier, thanks to the policies followed by our political leadership over the decades (“60 Years of Independence”, July 2). We cannot afford to ignore the perils confronting us.

S.C. Kapoor, Noida

The special issue has put forward the roller coaster journey of India, post-Independence, in such a lucid manner that it will serve as a good reference book.

Anusha Singh Saharan, Delhi

It is wonderful to see that a nation which couldn’t even produce safety pins 60 years ago, has now evolved into a global power. Your special issue is the proof of this phenomenal growth.

K. Chidanand Kumar, Bangalore

The issue couldn’t have come at a better time. The result of 60 years of Independence is: people’s representatives trying to outdo the people’s President.

S. Balakrishnan, Jamshedpur

The cover photograph of the issue was disappointing. It is neither creditable nor justifiable to show Mahatma Gandhi in any attire other than what he used to wear.

Ashok Bhatt, on e-mail

The cover picture of the issue is a straight lift from the Beatles’ “The Sgt Pepper” album cover. Has the magazine run out of ideas?

Divya Gangadharan, Mumbai

Does INDIA TODAY have some hidden acrimony against former prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. Not only did he not feature on the cover, he was covered poorly too.

]B. Murali Mohan, Hyderabad

Roots of Discord

The seeds of communalism and fundamentalism, sowed in 1947, have now grown into trees of terrorism (“A Divided Dawn”, July 2). We are still paying for that with our lives.

Mayank Barolia, on e-mail

The Right Judgement

Indeed, one of the achievements of the insipid 1950s was the establishment of an unbiased judiciary (“Looking Back, for Lessons, July 2). The courts have only proved the hindsight of those leaders correct.

V.C. Bhatnagar, Kanpur

Mistaken Interpretation

It is unfortunate to see that there are people who look back at the 1960s with an air of nostalgia (“An Area of Darkness”, July 2). We have come a long way from the misfortunes heeped on us by the past rulers.

T.S. Pattabhi Raman, Coimbature

Tallest Among Them All

Despite her many follies and failures, Indira Gandhi has been the most remarkable of the country’s prime ministers (“The Rise, Fall and Rise of Indira Gandhi”, July 2). India, nay the world, is yet to produce a leader of her stature.

Virendra Kumar Tangri, Dehradun

Religious Rivalry

The magazine correctly identifies the 1980s as an era when people were identified by their religious associations (“The Great Indian Political Churning”, July 2). Religion and regional divide have now become the base of all political parties and their ultimate desire is to get votes by appeasing communal sects.

Deepak Bhatia, Delhi

Caste-ing a Net

The 1990s will forever be remembered for the seeds of division that were sowed by former prime minister V.P. Singh in the name of caste-based reservations (“Caste Cleft”, June 2). We are still reeling under the aftermath of the move.

Aditya K. Aggarwal, on e-mail

India Outsourced

Shobhaa De may feel that NRIs are heading back home in droves, the magazine, however, paints an altogether different picture (“The Great Greed Creed”, July 2). Out of seven, only two of the distinguished authors whose columns feature in the magazine are based in the country. It is disappointing to see that the task of analysing and presenting India’s achievements over the decades had to be outsourced.

Uttara Chauhan, on e-mail

The death toll in the Gujarat riots was nothing when compared to the Sikh riots in Delhi (“Rule of Hate”, July 2). Had the ruling party been an accomplice, as alleged by the “intellectuals” and the “secularists”, the toll would have reached at least a lakh. Remember Stalin and Hitler?

Asoke C. Banerjee, Kolkata

The Great Presidential Race

It does not really matter who the country’s prime minister or President is (“High Drama Over High Office”, July 2). Everyone knows who the real “ruler” is.

Ranjana Manchanda, on e-mail

While both India and the US are witness to the rise of women power in the presidential elections, their cases are still different. While the President of the United States will be elected by the people, the President of India will be more of a nomination that to by elected representatives, the election being a mere formality.

Viswanathan S., Chennai

It would have been better had Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam flatly refused to reconsider his decision on re-election. He allowed himself to be used as a pawn by the “league of ex-chief ministers” when he expressed his willingness to contest if his victory was certain.

D.B.N. Murthy, Bangalore

To describe President Kalam as the people’s President is wrong. He has not made any concerted effort to help weed out evils like corruption and poverty among others. Save for bravadoes like excursions to mountain tops or ocean depths, he hasn’t done anything concrete.

N. Dharmeshwaran, Chennai

CHILDREN OF A RICH GOD

It is disheartening to see a bunch of spoilt brats being projected as representatives of Indian youth (“No Kidding”, June 25). Today’s teenagers are a focused lot who excel in both academics and co-curricular activities.

Blessy Abraham, Delhi

The story seems to have missed the teenagers belonging to the economically weaker sections of society, who are influenced by the media and the fashion industry in the same way as their rich counterparts are.

Sadhvi Kalra, on e-mail

The cover story ,“No Kidding”, spread over 10 pages was based on a non-issue and should have been left for the glamour and fashion magazines to cover. It seems the magazine has lost its atma in the wake of advertisements.

Mahesh Gaur, Pali-Marwar

30
Years Ago in India Today
JULY 16-30, 1977

Emergency Bonanza

Delhi’s cocktail circuit is now divided into two groups: those who have written books on the Emergency and those who haven’t. Heading the list of these authors is Kuldip Nayar whose The Judgement sold over 50,000 copies. G.S. Bhargava, The Hindustan Times’ Assistant Editor came out with “Indira’s India Gate” which was just a rehash of news stories. V.K. Narasimhan of The Indian Express wrote a “quickie” while the former editor of The Times of India D.R.Mankekar and his wife also piled in with their The Decline and Fall of Indira Gandhi, a book that was “written in five weeks” and could be read and shelved in two hours. The cake, however, went to the The Two faces of Indira Gandhi which could well have applied to most of these authors as they had been ardent supporters of the Emergency.

—Shirley Joshua

Index