Time to apply the healing touch
Sir, It’s unfortunate the controversy over the Dera Sacha Sauda chief’s alleged blasphemy shows no sign of abating but on the contrary is  taking a turn for the worse.
The regret by the sect’s chief has been turned down by the Akal Takht which means there will be a direct confrontation between the followers of the Dera sect and the Sikhs. This could result in a very disturbed situation in Punjab and other states where there are Dera followers. The demand for closure of all the Dera sect’s branches might not stand scrutiny in the eyes of the law as everyone has the constitutional right to practise any religion of his / her choice. The chief minister Prakash Singh Badal has his task cut out in bringing a rapprochement between the two adversaries so that normalcy could return in the days to come. He should rise above party politics to strive for applying the healing touch which can guarantee that the agitation comes to an end soon.
D B N Murthy
Bangalore

Prez on Education
Sir, President Abdul Kalam is said to have expressed his anguish at the pitiable state of education in the country. In his forthcoming book “You are born to blossom — Insights into Education and Learning,” he has lamented the fact that talent is not drawn towards science as in the past.
How ever much one may lament about the poor condition of education, it will remain so unless the teacher is respected and given reasonable emoluments.
A majority of teachers live well below the poverty line and when the teacher is poor how can he or she make a student rich in education? .
VS Venkatavaradan
Salem

Praiseworthy
Sir, Mr Mani Shankar Iyer deserves praise for his views on course correction for the benefit of aam admi which he expressed openly in a TV interview.It remains to be seen whether he receives brickbats or bocquae from his party colleagues in the name of so called discipline. He acted sensibly during his tenure in Petroleum Ministry by attempting to make India non-dependent on the vagries of OIL rich Arabs but was propmptly removed and when he talked with concern about economics of Asian Games sponsorship. Now, let us see what sort of repercussions in store from his own party.       
V.S.Ganeshan
Bangalore-94

Make way for youth
Sir, The way Sourav and Sachin, scored their centuries only to throw away the wickets soon after, in the first test against Bangladesh, proves that the critics were right in feeling that the duo play essentially for personal records. 
They are only fooling themselves by nursing the illusion that this a great comeback. Also the selection committee owes an explanation to the public for taking them, at the expense of upcoming youngsters, when the policy is to develop a young team.
H R Bapu Somasekhara
Bangalore

Misleading
Sir, Kavitha Kuruganti’s “In-Perspective” article on Biosafety (DH Monday May 20, 2007) has no semblance to proper perspective on biosafety.  India’s biotech regulatory body is composed of qualified and practicing scientists who do their job very well to determine the biosafety and environmental impacts.  The petitioners in the Supreme Court did a great job of misleading the court by presenting the scientific opinions of discredited anti-GM scientists of Europe and Canada . 
Shanthu Shantharam
Ellicott City, MD