The accidental PM

Shekhar Gupta's ‘Accidentally, in history’ (IE, December 1) is a warm tribute to I.K. Gujral. Gujral’s most brilliant legacy is the pathbreaking Gujral Doctrine, which is widely acclaimed in India as well as abroad. It became the touchstone for Indian diplomacy with the country’s immediate neighbours. Gujral belonged to a genre of politician and intellectual, which has profoundly influenced the country’s foreign policy.

— Dilbag Rai, Chandigarh

Missing the point

This refers to ‘Sushma Swaraj gets off the fence, wants Narendra Modi as Prime Minister’, (IE, December 1). Swaraj responded positively to a query about Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s ability to become India’s prime minister. The Economist, in a recent article, sees Finance Minister P. Chidambaram as the probable Congress candidate for PM. It is hard to understand why these two statements have deflected public attention from a more serious discussion on the qualities India’s PM should have. Swaraj has not pronounced Modi the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate; she has merely said that among others, he too is fit for the job. It is astonishing that her statement and The Economist’s piece have received such media attention.

— M.K. Sharma

Amritsar

No easy transfers

THE article ‘An Aadhaar for Aadhaar’ (IE, December 2) expresses disapproval of government-run welfare schemes. It is true that there are several obstacles to implementing such schemes, from monitoring the flow of funds to holding individuals accountable for mismanagement or corruption. Direct cash transfers may prove to be most beneficial to the poor by streamlining the process and removing the

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