Bal Thackeray’s outburst against Sachin Tendulkar underline the reason behind his party’s stunted growth: his refusal to understand the mood and drives of young India (‘Thackeray vs Sachin and the rest of India’, IE, November 17). This is where the Congress scores over others like the BJP, SP, BSP and the Left. A contemporary worldview that appeals to the youth, imbued with a liberal education, is what some leaders lack. The problem is not simply of age.

— Y.G. Chouksey

Pune

Low thoughts?

Maharashtra has produced great patriots who sacrificed their lives for the nation. Though proud of being Marathi, they were not chauvinists. Sachin Tendulkar belongs to that tradition. He is a truly national icon and he spoke like one when he said he is first an Indian. The likes of Bal Thackeray or the MNS cannot understand such noble sentiments. Most Maharashtrians feel outraged by the Shiv Sena chief’s slur on their nationalism.

— V.Venkatasubramanian

Mumbai

New reflections

This refers to the editorial ‘Group of Two’ (IE, November 16). When President Nixon visited the People’s Republic of China in 1972, he was the first US president to do so. China, then under Chairman Mao, was considered a foe. But that visit aimed to build a bridge between the most powerful nation and the most populous one. The world has now changed once again. Obama’s visit to China comes when both states have shared interests as well as competing ones. Caution should be exercised in their engagement.

... contd.