•This refers to the thought-provoking editorial, ‘Document of India’. It pays rich tribute to the makers of the Constitution and aptly says that the Constitution of India is our shared normative vocabulary. The Constitution has been the saviour of the fundamental rights of citizens, while prescribing the directive principles of the state policy for proper governance.

Truly, our Constitution has withstood the acid test, time and again. It’s a different matter that it has been amended umpteen times in tune with national requirements as well as for politically expedient reasons. The only matter of concern is that some political parties quite often try to misuse their numerical strength to seek opportunistic amendments to this document of India. But ultimately the people of India are its true guardians, who protect its spirit and purpose.

— S.K. Gupta

Delhi

Republic of hunger

•‘An undernourished programme’ by Sonu Jain is very informative and thought-provoking, making readers aware of a recent Lancet study that frames challenges in India regarding maternal and child under-nutrition. I strongly feel that the Lancet study may be factually correct while enumerating the scientific reasons and data, but it has failed to point out the real reason for the failure of Integrated Child Development Scheme. Even after 60 years of Independence, the Indian state has miserably failed in effective implementation of almost all public health programmes like the Integrated Child Development Scheme, the Midday Meal Scheme and the Supplementary Nutrition Programme, which have ultimately become money-spinning machines for corrupt administrators. I feel that it is not the paucity of money allocated, but corruption, rudderless policies, bankruptcy of political thought, lack of will and accountability and a weak primary healthcare system which are responsible for the miserable failure of most public health programmes in India.

— Vitull K. Gupta

Bathinda

Draw the line

•The news that S.M. Krishna will return to active politics in Karnataka is no doubt good news for the Congress there, but brings bad tidings for the Indian polity. The governor’s office was supposed to be above the murky waters of politics, but with the UPA government in power we have seen this office used more as a VIP lounge for politicians before returning to active duty. Sushil Kumar Shinde is another example of this kind of practice. Little does the Congress realise that the governor’s office should not be corrupted with the taint of politics, for the good of India and its Constitution. It is important that we keep these lakshman rekhas intact for the good of India. We should appoint governors who are not connected with politics, though this is unlikely to happen, since political parties need some place to keep their senior leaders in cold storage.

— S. Kamat

Alto Betim, Goa

Elusive prize

•After the announcement of the country’s civilian awards, it seems that there is not a single person in this country who deserved the country’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. Who knows, the award selection committee might have nominated someone for the highest award for 2008, but L.K. Advani’s open letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in favour of A.B. Vajpayee, and the long lists drawn up by the major political parties, could have changed their mind. Which goes to prove that it is not that we lack leaders, but that political influence ends up maligning the nation’s highest award.

— Bidyut K. Chatterjee

Faridabad