THE mediapersons are always slapping their own backs and signing "Mujh Jaisa Koi Nahin", but you are one editor, Mr Sunil Dang, who has the guts and honesty to tell some home truths about the media today. We all know that the poll time is here and the buying and selling of media products and media-merchants is in full swing. Many know who have been sold to whom and for how much, and you must be knowing who has been sold to which political party and politician at what price. The so-called feel-good factor every one is talking about, but who is really feeling good and about what? I hope you will continue to expose the poll time lies that the leaders and their pleaders in the media are telling till the final verdict of the people is known. Please keep the flag against hypocrisy flying. We, the readers, are all with you. I admire your guts.

Jaswant Singh Bisht
Dehra Dun

SIR, in your editorial "Media and Masses on Trial",(February I issue) you have said "A Republic is always the rule of the public, that is the people. And two of the foremost Republics of the world -- the United States of America and India, are on the path of the electoral trial" and you have said, "I feel that not only the politicians and political parties in the two countries are on trial but more so the media and the masses. The media has to face the trial on its very reason and cause of existence".

But where is the public in this Republic? Does the media run by big houses, making more money from advertising nudes and publishing classified and unclassified, making more money than news, make any sense? How many people in the country read these English newspapers, some of them calling themselves national newspapers, and what kind of people they are? I do not think that these merchants of elitism, mini-skirts, moneyed class idiosyncrasies and brown English sahibs with their cheap and indecent page 3 "celebrities" have anything to do with the people. Why not put them on trial for their contribution to the intellectual, social and moral pollution of at least the upper class of this country? What do you say?

Rudra Narain Singh
Patna

HOW right you are when you say in your editorial "Media and Masses on Trial" that "those who do not care for the people and their prosperity must be taught a lesson. I suggest that those who have been elected for two terms already should not be allowed to contest for third term, or at least the voters should reject them so that old age, senility and degradation do not become the permanent feature of our legislatures.

Madhav Singh Rathore
Jaipur

SIR. your editorial "Media and Masses on Trial" has talked about the distortions of Indian electoral system. I agree with most of what you have said but I would like to add my suggestion on that even in politics there should be an age of retirement and politicians must retire at some age between 60 and 70 and not stay the permanent drains on the national exchequer. Otherwise India might become the world's largest land of samadhis and maqbras. Why cannot the foggy old men and women retire?

Maqsood Ali Khan
Bareilly

SIR, The Day After story in your February I issues recalled the controversy round the question "Does India need a President at all?" Do you have a special weakness for prime ministers? Why cannot you investigate into the question "Does India need a Prime Minister at all? While the President remains a Constitutional head, several prime ministers have been "unconstitutional hot heads" for whom their party cronies and pet theories of day before yesterday have been more important than the people of India. Why not abolish this post?

Karuna Kulkarni
Bangalore

SIR, chair is a furniture of foreign origin. Our kings and emperors used to sit on thrones, which were not exactly chairs. Our great teachers sat on the ground or under the trees. Kalidasa wrote, sitting on a mat and using a ground-based small writing desk.

You have rightly said "It's time to fight for PM's Gaddi" But why not abolish the elaborate chairs and tables in the Prime Minister's office and replace it with a real gaddi. I think the importance of the gaddi was that the occupant had the humility to sit on the ground and the strength to stand up from that level on his or her own legs.

Rajesh Atwal
Kanpur

YOUR cover story, "It's time to fight for PM's Gaddi" highlights the argument that there are some who say that a hands-down victory for the BJP could actually mean that Vajpayee does not become Prime Minister. God forbid that happens.

I pray that BJP does not have a hands-down victor, because I like Vajpayeeji and I want him to be the Prime Minister again.

Manohar Kamle
Thane

M K Dhar's story in your February I issue says "Land of Chenggis Khan counts on India's help". Do you know Chenggis Khan was a Buddhist and if his land counts on the land of Gautam the Buddha, its natural.

Tamu Hama
Gangtok

Sir, your story ‘Tourism: Boosting connectivity a must’ by Brij Bhardwaj, in February 1 issue, is quite informative. If you keep the tradition of giving information about different tourist sites, it will be much helpful for the general public.