Act at least now

: • I am sure the UPA Government will ignore your advice in the editorial, ‘A Pilot for Patil’ regarding Union home minister Shivraj Patil. In Congress culture, sycophancy and personal and family loyalties take precedence over the good of the country and even the party. This is one of the reasons the Congress is running to seed. Without further delay, PM Manmohan Singh should reorganise the home ministry in response to security concerns. The country’s security comes first. As executive head of the government he is responsible for safeguarding the unity and integrity of the country, and should not be afraid of taking hard decisions. People are eagerly awaiting a step in this direction.

— Tarsem Singh New Delhi

Kashmir condemnables

• Things have taken an ugly turn in Kashmir, and return to normality looks a distant dream now. Violent sectarian clashes have ripped apart tradition of communal amity and harmony, and reduced the pedestal of secularism to rubble. All the stakeholders have contributed to the mess. The military has unleashed a reign of Terror in Kashmir, after apparently been given a free hand. Killing civilians and protesters at will in a democratic set-up is condemnable. Thankfully, CRPF IG was shown the door by Governor Vohra. The army and the police should exercise restraint in doing their duty, and think twice before putting their firearms to use.

Beijing refresher

• Michael Phelps is the greatest sportsman the world of sports has ever witnessed and his tally of 11 gold medals in Olympic history will be almost impossible to surpass: 5 gold medals at Beijing and 6 at Athens last time around! Phelps is only 23 and looks good for many more medals in future Olympics, not to mention this year in Beijing. Compare this to our country where we have a dearth of medal winners, where sports sponsorship starts and ends with cricket. Abhinav Bindra excelled in spite of little governmental support, and rather because his parents backed him both with resources and moral support. Our sportsmen have the talent but need encouragement and infrastructure to develop into world beaters. Michael Phelps and Abhinav’s dream Olympics should inspire young sportsmen in India to emulate them in future Olympics.

— S.N. Kabra Mumbai

Model for textbooks

• Abhinav Bindra’s gold medal for India is a great honour for the country. He thoroughly deserved to win, achieving excellence through concentration and hard work, held together by his parents’ support. Abhinav’s consistent hard work for a decade is a lesson to Indian youth. In this context, a writeup such as “The success story of India’s first ever individual gold in Olympic” should immediately be included in CBSE and state textbooks to promote individual talent in the younger generations. All of us will agree that Abhinav’s achievement will change the face of Olympic sports in India, where the success stories of individuals at international events have been few and far between.

— Nagesh Tekale Mumbai

Letter of the Week Award

To encourage quality reader intervention The Indian Express offers the Letter of the Week Award. The letter adjudged the best for the week is published every Saturday. Letters may be e-mailed to editpage @expressindia.com or sent to The Indian Express, 9&10, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi -110002.

Letter writers should mention their postal address and phone number.

The winner receives books worth Rs 1000.