Dr. Zakir Hussain, the great educationist
It wisened me to read Medha Lotlikar’s article, “Áll for one, One for all” in the OIOP June 2009 issue. However, though she has mentioned Mahatma Gandhi and Tagore, she failed to mention one of our great and epoch making educationist, Dr. Zakir Hussain. He put the education philosophy of Gandhiji in the practical guise of Wardha Scheme, founded Jamia Millia where what Ms. Lotlikar prescribes now was practised in the 1930s. I was a worse than mediocre primary student in Ahmedabad at the age of 9. I was sent to Jamia in 1936. Under the aegis of Zakir Sahib my life was transformed within six months. I rose to the top of the class and stayed there ever since.

– Munir Kadri, retired Surgeon Urologist, Rotorua, New Zealand  

Man of the Moment
Dr. Manmohan Singh deserves congratulations as he takes over the charge of the Prime Minister of India for a second term. The people of India gave their mandate with remarkable maturity for the continuity and stability of the government. Acclaimed as a thinker and a scholar, Dr. Singh is known for his integrity and commitment with unassuming demeanour. Dr. Singh’s taking the reigns for the second term only proves that he is the most capable PM of the country, barring a few political acrimonies. A humble journey that started from a teaching profession to holding various positions in the economic and finance wings later took him to the post of the Governor of RBI. Dr. Singh never looked back and went ahead to become the Finance Minister of India. He is well-known for making economic reforms, liberalisation and corporate-friendly policies. The journey further took him to the helm of the country and he is now known as the best PM who is revered by the world leaders. Aam admi has lot of expectations from this great leader. Dr. Singh’s first term experience will certainly help him to go an extra mile in important sectors like health, education, economic reforms and rural-urban development, not forgetting the social security and safety of people of India. The world is closely watching the progress of India and the new government should prove its credibility once again. 

– Dr. Narayan B. Iyer, Mumbai

Please note
This has reference to the article “Our Neighbours-Tibet” (OIOP, May 2009 issue) by Prof. Avinash Kolhe.
The learned Sr. Lecturer in Political Science does not seem to be very conversant with the state of affairs when he refers to the “demand of Greater Tibet as demanded by the Dalai Lama”. As far as Tibetans are concerned there is no such thing called ‘Greater Tibet’, it is only the Chinese who refer to it.
The British idea of convening the Tripartite (British India, China and Tibet) 1913-1914 Simla Conference was two fold (1) To make McMahon Line as the India-China boundary and (2) To officially divide Tibet into Inner and Outer Tibet. The plan went haywire when China did not sign the 1914 Simla Convention. When the Chinese did not sign the Simla Convention, the British went and signed bilaterally with the Tibetans the Anglo-Tibetan Declaration on 3rd July 1914. As a result the McMahon Line not only became the Indo-Tibetan boundary but neither divided Tibet into Inner and Outer Tibet. The Chinese only talk of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) which is actually Outer Tibet as Tibet but do not talk at all of Inner Tibet (Kham And Amdo), which they call ‘Greater Tibet’, and which they have continued to occupy illegally since the warlord revolution of 1911-1912. Again the learned Sr. Lecturer says that 31st March is observed as Tibetan National Uprising Day. The Tibetan National Uprising Day is observed on 10th March.

– C. A. Kallianpur, National Co-ordinator, Friends of Tibet (India), Mumbai

Prof. Avinash Kolhe replies:
I must thank Mr. Kallianpur for sparing time to comment on my article. It is clear that theirs is a body which is created to propagate the cause of Tibet. No wonder they will refuse to look at any other view but theirs only. Hence the dispute about what is to be called ‘inner Tibet’ and what is to be called ‘Greater Tibet’. The ‘Friends of Tibet’ is a body of people with missionary zeal. One need not go into the merit of their cause or its relevance in today’s world.
The error regarding ‘Tibetan National Uprising Day’ is indeed regretted.