• Shekhar Gupta’s assessment that Indo-Pak relations are bedevilled by the anti-

Indian “virus” in the mind of the Pakistani establishment is correct (‘A new Project Pakistan’, IE, August 8). That establishment has nurtured the Lashkars to destabilise India, while the additional Sino-Pak factor is also disturbing. The bond between Pakistan and China will not break. Therefore, diplomacy and politics must ensure that Pakistan’s civilian leadership yields on essentials. That way, China too can come on board one day. However, one is sceptical about how far the US would go in helping India.

— M. Ratan

New Delhi

Harmony lessons

•This refers to ‘How the future works’ (IE, August 8). When one compares the

Al-Azhar University to the Aligarh Muslim University, differences are stark; not because the level of education may vary but because one can rationally attribute it to the political games within India whereby religion raises its head in all fields, including education. However, one should realise that these centres of learning help social cohesion. Two Islamic centres of academic excellence and similar Hindu ones would go a long way in strengthening social harmony.

— R. Venkatanarayanan

Noida

Reform, now

•Isn’t it ironic that in a democracy the judiciary, an organ of the state that is meant to play a pro-active role in encouraging and ensuring transparency and accountability, adamantly exempts itself from the same rules (‘Long road to reform’, IE, August 7)? Of late, there have been instances of questionable conduct on the part of judges. The entire judicial system is of course not affected, but reforms are necessary right now.

... contd.