:: Letters to Editor

Borlaug: a role model

Sep 27 : Sir, This is with reference to the tribute to Norman Borlaug The modern-day Prophet who saved India in 1960s (September 22) by Shreekant Sambrani. Borlaug was popularly also known as a "Grain Genius" or the "Greatest Hunger Fighter". He abhorred the title "Father of Green Revolution". Due to his remarkable vision, and introduction of the High Yielding Variety crops (HYV) in India and Pakistan in 1965-66, he saved the lives of millions of people from hunger and starvation. To perpetuate Borlaug’s memory, it would be appropriate if a chapter devoted to him was introduced in school text books. He would be a role model and inspiration to the new generation.

L.K. Chawla

Via email

Advani must take a stand

Sir, It is not clear why L.K. Advani wants to dissociate himself from the Bharatiya Janata Party’s stand of expelling Jaswant Singh. A leader occupying a high position can sometimes be compelled to take a hard decision which is unavoidable, going by the principles of his party, although this may be against his personal views. There is no point in Mr Advani claiming to be a leader if he insists, with a view to safeguard his image, that he was not part of the collective party decision. Mr Advani must learn to take a stand.

K. Chandrasekaran

Via email

Lunar probe is irrelevant

Sir, Is it worth having at a whopping expense the knowledge that there is water available on the moon, brought to us through the Chandrayaan-I mission? After all, here on earth, millions of our people are still having to trek miles to get a pot or two of water. The money spent on the lunar probe could have been used to improve water supplies for our citizens.

N. Dharmesh

Adambakkam, Chennai

Who wants jagan as cm?

Sir, The demand to make Jagan Mohan Reddy, son of late Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh is still echoing. The Jagan camp is desperate to project him as the chief minister by citing the so-called public demand. In the last elections, YSR did not allow the Congress high command to have any say in the selection of candidates. Now, these handpicked MLAs are dancing to the tunes of K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao and Jagan Reddy. Moreover, the Tekkali byelection results did not show any sign of a pro-Jagan demand. The sympathy factor on account of YSR did not help the Congress candidate to scrape through. The Jagan camp should stop fooling the public.

A. Mrinalini

Via email

Drdo’s claimS CREATE trouble

Sir, India’s nuclear scientists are a class unto themselves. Pampered with unaudited funds and ever-flexible targets, they have been playing ducks and drakes with its defence for quite some time. We know how the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scuttled the purchase of gun-locating radar from the US in 1997, declaring that it could develop the system in-house within two years. We had to take help from Israel during Kargil war. There are several instances of DRDO’s perfidy. It has now put both United Progressive Alliance and National Democratic Alliance in a Catch-22 situation with regards to Pokhran-II.

Krishnan

Via email