— R.P. Subramanian

Delhi

Throw out this law

•The recent move of the CBI to register a case against an ex-RAW official under the Official Secrets Act 1923 (OSA) for authoring a book allegedly highlighting prevalent corruption within the intelligence agency is highly deplorable. It raises questions about the relevance of the archaic and draconian OSA, which was enacted and imposed on Indian territory by British rulers for their vested interests. Worse, Section 5 of OSA does not provide for a precise definition of “official secrets” and thus any kind of information could attract prosecution regardless of purpose or intent. There are still no rules for regulating the provisions of OSA. It has proved to be a potent weapon in the hands of bureaucrats to suppress the whistleblower. We need to get rid of this anachronistic law.

— Hemant Kumar

Ambala

Not quite civilised

•This refers to your editorial, ‘Hear, hear’ ,Nothing succeeds like success. Time was when Americans used to say, what is good for General Motors, is good for the US. Today it seems what is good for the US is good for India, going by media coverage. True, it was a sign of America’s commitment to the UN that Iran’s President Ahmadinejad was allowed to enter the country. However, by giving him history’s most obnoxious welcome, Columbia University’s president, Lee C. Bollinger, has completely demolished the image of the US as a role model for civilised countries.

— Tufail Shaikh

Mumbai