Sachin Tendulkar is average

Mismanaged show
The report ‘Aero India 2011: Too much to pay, too little received correctly’, (February 13) correctly pointed out the glaring flaws of the much-hyped Aero India 2011 held in Bangalore. Be it the poorly organised food courts, exorbitant charges or the disappointment to the local aviation enthusiasts and students. The organisers should take a re-look at the way things are organised now. Once the official five-day event is over, the IAF planes and exhibition stalls of Indian companies should be kept open for display for one more week. Students should be given a chance to see and experience the growth of India’s aviation sector. This will inspire many of the young minds to choose a career in R&D.
—Krishna Kumar, via email

Sachin is average
No doubt Sachin Tendulkar is a great test player but as far as his performance in one-day international matches and World Cup matches is concerned, he is not that great, especially in semi-finals and finals.  The last four world cup matches, and more than 15-20 semi-finals and finals where India has lost, will prove the point. Further, his performance till the quarter finals is excellent, whereas it is just good or average in the semi-finals and finals. Looking at the past experience, India should reserve Sachin till the quarter final and let him play only in the quarters and semis. Only then will India have a chance of winning this World Cup.
—Pomdeo Sharma, Thane

Controversial move
The power point presentation by Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP in Srinagar for her new-found vision on Kashmir, ceding both Aksai Chin and the Karakoram region to China as opposed to India’s stance that these regions are part of India, has created an avoidable controversy. This is not only harmful to India but also to Mufti’s political interests (‘Mehbooba justifies controversial map’, February 15). It is a calculated move by the PDP, which, though it advocates self-rule for Jammu and Kashmir, is playing into the hands of China and Pakistan to accept China’s right over Aksai Chin and the Karakoram region. Has the PDP forgotten the parliamentary resolution of 1994, passed unanimously, which clearly expressed the sentiments of the Indian Parliament and the people on Pak-Occupied Kashmir (POK) and reiterated that the state was an inseparable part of the country? Mufti’s observations are highly objectionable.
—Dilbag Rai, Chandigarh

Opposition’s threat
It has been reported that the opposition has threatened to stall parliamentary proceedings if the JPC is not announced prior to February 22. As a common man, I feel that a threat to Parliament is a threat to Indian democracy. It is needless to say that the government has taken steps to comply with Supreme Court directives. No government can take action on the basis of a threat from the opposition party. The BJP has refused to take any action on the corruption charges against its own CM in Karnataka but it has sufficient time to approach governors and the President to ask for action against other states.
—SS Nair, via email

Increasing milk prices
The government of Maharashtra has raised the prices of milk for the third or fourth time in the past two years. The NCP-Congress government is so sensitive to the demands made by farmers in western Maharashtra that the moment there is any protest by farmers, it simply gives in and agrees to whatever the demand is. And if we talk about milk prices, the difference in the price paid to farmers and that paid by consumers in cities like Mumbai and Pune is in the range of Rs12-14 per litre. Should the government not analyse the processing cost of milk and look for avenues for cutting the processing cost before taking any decision? Consumers in cities should unite and put pressure on the government to take some positive action.
—VM Ketkar, via email

PM’s dubious defence
It is a shame on the part of the PM to equate the charitable act of subsidy for the poor to the loss through scams that benefited the rich swindlers. The PM has the moral responsibility to resign for his silent spectatorship in the clandestine looting of the treasury, no matter what the compulsions of the coalition are going to be. The Congress was once led by people like Lal Bahadur Shastri. The very fact that he wants to hold on to his post itself is an indication of an involvement!
—SR Devaprakash, via email