• This refers to ‘Shourie dares: RSS must rebuild BJP...’. Arun Shourie’s recent remarks have been startling for a number of reasons. Looking back, Shourie himself pitted Narendra Modi as the future PM during campaigning and was naturally aware that L.K. Advani was the only PM candidate from the BJP, but now these factors have played a major role in his outbursts. It is understandable that Shourie and others may feel that they have been left out of the top echelons of decision-making but the prospect of RSS members “bombarding the party headquarters” is outlandish. The BJP needs to introspect and, should it want to revive itself, it will at first require a set of dynamic and acceptable leaders with a fresh philosophy.

— Bidyut K. Chatterjee

Faridabad

Nothing new

• While the Gujarat government’s ban on Jaswant Singh’s book is uncalled for, the assumption that such action is a recent phenomenon is itself erroneous . Contrary to common perceptions and myths spun by India’s many historians, such intolerance was evidently alive in Nehru’s time. Take the simple example of Nine Hours to Rama, dealing with Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. Nehru’s government banned that. One wonders whether parallels can be drawn between past actions and the Modi government’s ban on Singh’s book.

— Vijay S. Jodha

Noida

Rerouting resources

• It continues to confuse many as to why after so many years of meticulous planning and regular expenditure of public monies we are still unable to come up with a longlasting solution to both flooding and droughts. Our scientists and scholars continue to struggle with this issue. Perhaps what’s needed is a sincere effort to use excess water in areas affected by drought. Scientists need to look into the issue of better resource allocation.

... contd.