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Our stories on Niira Radia, Mukesh Ambani and Karunanidhi received the most responses on Firstpost today, while on Twitter it was Sania Mirza and freedom of expression that inspired comments. It goes without saying that we love reading your thoughts, opinions and feedback. Here are the comments that impressed us today: On Twitter: @daftari She shakes Pakistan! RT @r0h1n And that’s news because? RT @firstpostin: Sania Mirza crashes out of French Open @rajeshmacha Beauty and duty RT @firstpostin: RT @the_hindu: Bipasha Basu detained at airport, let off after paying duty @PunditComment Constitution restricts freedom of speech unfortunately. MT @firstpostin Does the govt have right to moral police ads? @ShreyanshS @firstpostin but i actually dont mind deo ads which show all females as nymphs being banned @da_twisted_one And no one is surprised anymore.RT @firstpostin: Sania Mirza crashes out of French Open On Articles: chakraview Pakistan’s problem is that they have created and nurtured the Frankenstein of terrorism. To the outside world, it looks like Pakistan is the chief patron of terrorists, but unfortunately for Pakistan, the terrorists are as much a threat to Pakistan as they are to others. The US played this game for a decade, before realizing that Pakistan is part of the problem and not part of the solution. Today, China thinks that Pakistan can help the Chinese deal with insurgency in Xinjiang - soon, they will realize that Pakistan does not control the terrorists - the terrorists control Pakistan. The recent attack on naval facilities at Karachi amply demonstrates the troubles in Pakistan. What an irony - that the strategy that Pakistan chose to counter India - assymetric warfare, using terrorists - is backfiring on them. Just 6 terrorists could hold back over 100 commandos, for 17 hours, and do so much damage! When people worry about the status of Pakistan’s nukes - they need to remember one thing. Today, there is no “single” entity controlling Pakistan. It is multiple entities (the civilian government, the religious hardliners, the loyal military, the arms of the military that are in bed with the terrorists, and the terrorists themselves), with different agendas. Each one of these entities is working at cross purposes to the other. So the nukes could already be in the wrong hands, and we would be none the wiser - till it is too late. Posted on US-Pak ‘triple talaq’ will be heard around the world Deepasingh40 JRD, I really do not think that Article 21 will not be effective in this case. The constant attacks and publicizing of private conversations of Radia has made her a public figure. Was it her fault? She chose not to be in the public radar even if she was a successful entrepreneur herself for so long. Yes, like ‘Adam’s apple’ the stay on the book might intrigue a section of readers to buy the book for some cheap thrill. And talking of Anand going to SC, it is too weak a case. Who are we to judge Niira Radia on her tapes JRD? On whose behalf are you demanding that it is more important to bring all Radia tapes into the public domain? I am a citizen of this country and I do not demand such a thing. We all can have private conversations. Who are you to demand for making anyone’s private conversation public? Would you like your conversations to be leaked to public? It is funny to learn that few phone calls with a couple of politicians, corporates are enough to influence policies in our country. We are all waiting for the Court’s verdict and the culprits being brought to justice. Posted on Radia breathes easy as Delhi HC stays release of book on tapes Subbu Iyer Well written Aparna. In India, where teaching and coaching are looked at as sacred vocations and not a profession, the teacher / coach never ties the student to himself / herself. At appropriate points in time, he / she lets recommends his ward to higher and diversified sources of learning. Money and commerce like all other aspects of life has changed this value system too. It is rather unfortunate. As you rightly point out, this combination worked and looked good while it lasted. Saina hasn’t been the same in the past few tournaments. Whatever may be the inside story, hopefully someone can help them work it out. Saina appears a genuine precious talent to be wasted. Posted on A coach-student relationship is as sacred as a blood relation Iamsankey Please refer to the RIL - RNRL case and the affidavit filed by RIL and Govt. of India in the supreme court. The Govt.of India said that it (NELP) is a nation’s property and RIL is just a operator to HARNESS its resources and the operator will recover his cost first (40K crores) and then subsequent income it will be shared with GOI. This 40K crores were to be recovered over a period of 20 years but by raising the price RIL wants to recover it ASAP. Also remember the RIL - BP deal. Technically RIL cannot SELL / SHARE this KG basin with BP as this is Nation’s property. But the deal has gone thru between RIL -BP. So it is a gameplan of RIL to say the output has dwindled we will have to take Foreign expertise (read BP) and then suddenly the output will also increase. In between this RIL will slowly ease out GOI from the scheme of things (our politicians will be more than will to do this) and this becomes a RIL -BP operation. so Mukesh will get what he wanted (i.e) back stabbing his younger brother of his share in RIL gas finds by getting GOI to say it is a nation’s property and then back stabbing GOI and its people by saying the output has dwindled. Please remember Neko energy the company which estimates the amount of Gas has already said the actual capacity is 5 times the stated capacity of RIL. Please remember RIL and Mukesh ambani are not fools… we are… Posted on In eyeball-to-eyeball with Reliance, government blinks Sohini RC Can legal remedies really resurrect a person’s image once it is sullied through vilified personal attacks and character assassination, especially that of a woman? Free speech does not mean that anyone and everyone pick up a pen to write trash about whomever they dislike and have an axe to grind. Freedom of speech also doesn’t mean that you call someone a cheat, liar and everything else on the earth and divulge exaggerated and fabricated matter that one may have perhaps had access to in his capacity of being her lawyer during the KLM issue. If that is free speech and everyone resorts to that, then we would not be living in a civilized society, but constantly battling with one another for survival. Hence I disagree with Mr Subir Ghosh on this point. The less said about Mr R K Anand is better. One is also not bothered about this book because of its grammatical mistakes and typos. One needs to see beyond the book and the titillating details that Mr Anand, with his brilliant imaginative mind has penned to make his book catchy enough to get people interested and fooled in the process. I don’t understand why a senior journalist like you, are not able to understand the malice and the slanderous campaign that Anand is driving through this book. If a person, especially a woman wants to guard her own privacy and protests if it is invaded, isn’t that her fundamental right as a citizen? Why do you object to that? How does that prove that she has much more to hide? Would you, Mr Ghosh, like your privacy to be invaded and perhaps your calls be tapped and leaked to the public through the media? It is unfortunately the media, who call themselves responsible, has done everything in their might to blacken her reputation, to up their own TRPs and circulation. I am sure if the phones of Barkha Dutts, Rajdeep Sardesais and Arnab Goswamis of the world are tapped, we will get to know of some more juicer details. Posted on Radia breathes easy as Delhi HC stays release of book on tapes Suresh Reliance is only a contractor and they are entitled to take back their costs. Not doubt about that but when they try to monopolise a government asset, I think its time government looks for a different contractor/contractors. Reliance can get back what it spent and a nominal profit but not 100 percent profit. Moreover, Reliance didn’t risk anything when it poured in money. They were assured of the investments back if no gas could be generated. This is a classic example of ‘Privatizing profits and making losses a public.’ It is in fact the government that took the risk by giving the contract to Reliance which didn’t have any experience in deep water drilling. Now they have messed it up and taking the help of BP. Why should the rely on Reliance and in turn on BP. Why not give the contract directly to BP or Cairn India? Posted on In eyeball-to-eyeball with Reliance, government blinks Nv_rk It is not the castism which determines the eligibility to rule to country .It is capability, capacity and conduct which make one to be leader. No doubt i agree forward caste is ruling the country and at the same time belong to lower caste were also given equal opportunity but unfortunately either they has failed or moved out of the political career due various reasons. I would like to bring to your remembrance that GMC BalaYogi was made speaker of the Lok Shaba and Bangru Lakshamn was made president of the BJP. Abdual Kalam was made president of India like that there are many such incidents …. So I better I advice prove the capability as one gets an opportunity, not simply saying forward caste or backward caste. And importantly one of the greatest qualities one should have is the honesty and sincerity towards his job which lacked in Tamil nadu previous government Posted on DMK chief is fighting to protect his business interests Silver_Seraph Hey! As the title says it’s a “Rich Country Index” . Since the rich already “Have” money, they obviously would have other priority things ready instead of money. Take this survey to extremely poor countries like those in the African continent or others around the world where there isn’t even enough money leave alone everything else, and this interactive tool would land on its head!! Posted on Money isn’t everything, says a new rich country index Abcd I think it is time to grow up and stop thinking about casteism. Such comments just fuel anger and help no one. There have been a lot of (so called) leaders from different castes. All that they have done in to fill their own pockets and rob the nation. Casteism is a carrot being use to win votes and make money. At the end of the day, it helps no one. Posted on DMK chief is fighting to protect his business interests Singh What has been said is correct - though it should be seen in the wider context. Forget IIT’s and IIM’s, what happens at our universities and other institutes? What research are we doing? We are churning out Ph.D’s by the thousands - but still, where is the research? Attacking IIT’s and IIM’s is simply attacking the symptoms of a much bigger, deeper problem that we have in our education system. The question we need to ask ourselves is - are we happy creating things for others or do we want to create for ourselves and our nation????? Posted on The sacred symbolism of the IIT/IIM brand