Readers’ Forum

Counting on Cultural Connects
( Organiser,14.9.2014);This refers to the editorial ‘Counting on Cultural Connects’ in Organiser. Certainly cultural ties between Japan and India due to Buddhism are a big factor in generating goodwill and cooperation. Our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has been very successful in exploring it,by offering prayer in Buddhist Temple and by offering a copy of Gita to the Emperor of Japan.It goes to the credit of Shri Modi to sarcastically remark that secular friends in India would be raising lot of hue and cry over offering of Gita. And it is a fact that due to anti-Hindu and so-called secular disease Congress rulers could not establish such close ties with Japan.I would like to add that under the guidance of Shri Narendra Modi it would be possible to establish cultural ties with China also. Although a Communist country it certainly has Buddhism at its base. Moreover China is also facing problem of Islamic terror in its Xinjiang province and thus can be persuaded not to help Islamic Pakistan .India and China both have a common cause of suffering from Ialamic terrorism and Pakistan is the epicentre of Islamic terrorism.
ANAND PRAKASH,
72/Sector -8,
Panchkula:134 109

Delhi’s Non-Rule For Women

Delhi’s Transport Department just factored in safety for women, by decreeing that women on two-wheelers must wear helmets. But they have also made the obligatory bow to religious sentiment, as Sikh women have been exempted from the rule. Which leaves behind a teeny-weeny problem for the Traffic Police which has been given the authority to enforce the rule. How the Traffic Police staff will distinguish Sikh women from non – Sikh women violating the law?
MAHESH CHANDRA SHARMA , Kanpur

Symbol of Divine Trust
( Organiser, 13.7. 2014); Apropos to the article ‘Symbol of Divine Trust’in Organiser. It is written in the article that Adi Shankaracharya was born in the year 805 AD which is totally wrong. The correct date of birth of Adi Shankaracharya is 509 BC-477 BC. A few examples may be seen in the research book, The Age of Shankara by Udayavira Shastri;Chronology of Ancient Hindu History by Pandit Kota Venkatachelam and Blunder of Indian History by P N Oak.In the same issue on page 8, under the heading ‘Temple has to be liberated from the vested interest’it is quoted that the present Shankaracharya of the Gandharva Peeth is the 145th Shankaracharya in that tradition, and so at the rate of 20 years per Shankaracharya it comes to 2900 years i.e. 886 BC. Each Peeth keeps a list of its Shankaracharyas which can be consulted, so that such errors should not repeat.
RAM AVTAR SINGH,
Haldwani: 263 139

Soft Power, Hard Bargain
( Organiser, 28.9.2014); This refers to the front page story of Organiser, ‘Soft Power, Hard Bargain’ by Vijay Kranti.The most important dimension of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Land of The Rising Sun is checkmating the growing influence of China. This strategy will hopefully bring India together with nations like Japan, Vietnam, Philippines, Tiwan and the US to ensure that the China does not throw its weight around too much, Another important dimension of the visit is its impact on the Indian economy, which is expected to gain handsomely from new Japanese investments. Of course the cultural camaraderie between these two countries provides a strong foundation for further strengthening their relationship. And if their joint efforts succeed in cleaning up the holy city of Varanasi this will have a great social ramification, ending once and for all the pessimism about our ability to keep India clean.
A PRABAHARAN,
Trichy