Congratulations for Kiren Rijiju’s article ‘Too far from Delhi’ (IE, October 17). You have rendered a national service by publishing the former MP’s brilliant piece on Arunachal Pradesh. It is tragic indeed, that the sensitive and strategic Northeast region of our country continues to be neglected stupidly even 60 years after independence.

I have been crying hoarse over the past four decades against this neglect since 1966, when I first visited the region at the invitation of the then governor, Vishnu Sahay, formerly Union cabinet secretary. Hand-picked by Nehru for the key assignment, Sahay gravely regretted the lack of interest in the Northeast not only among New Delhi’s top rulers but also among the national media, barring honourable exceptions. In fact, he went on to caution: “If India ever breaks up, the process of disintegration will start with the Northeast!”

Sadly, nobody in New Delhi seems to be honestly bothered about the region, even as government and other leaders continue to wax eloquent hypocritically about strengthening India’s unity and integrity. We ignore Sahay’s solemn warning at our peril!

— Inder Jit New Delhi

Bonus earned

The controversy recently created by the proposal to raise the cut-off percentage from 60 per cent to 80 per cent for IIT entrance examinations now seems to have apparently blown over with the HRD ministry backtracking. The underlying issues raised by both the protagonists of this move and those opposing it have, however, not really been resolved but rather been brushed under the carpet. Perhaps a better way to ensure that students are neither disincentivised from concentrating on their 12th Board examinations nor penalised for achieving marginally lower marks would be to retain the qualifying percentage for the JEE at the present 60 per cent, but to allow certain bonus points to the students for their performance in the 12th Board examinations. These bonus points should be taken into consideration while deciding the final order of merit.

... contd.