Effecting charm
This refers to the article, 'Of parched cerebellums at India's intellectual hub' (The Pioneer, August 24), by BN Uniyal. In fact I had received a number of letters and telephone calls appreciating the lecture, and I am sorry that Mr Uniyal did not find it up to the mark. I hope that on the next suitable occasion I will be able to redeem my reputation in his eyes, and that my "immense charm" will be more effective.

Meanwhile, there are three points that I would like to make. First, I was not in "a terrible haste”. My lectures are usually of 40 minutes duration, and on this occasion also I started speaking at 6.20 pm and concluded at 7.00 pm. The chairman, Dr Manmohan Singh, and I had decided before the meeting that as it was a memorial lecture there would not be a question and answer session. At 7.00 pm I did have to leave-certainly not "in a huff”-to catch a flight to Madras.

Second, Mr Uniyal faults me for not having dealt in more depth with the broad spectrum of problems facing the nation. A 40-minute lecture has of necessity to be a tour d'horizon, and it is simply not possible to go into any single issue in detail. I have spoken on this theme extensively in India and around the world, and the broad over-view has generally been well-received. I did mention the intensive exercise undertaken by India International Centre three years ago on the Constitution of India, in which after a year of meetings, seminars and discussions we came out with a report containing detailed proposals for improving the political functioning of the nation.

My remark regarding Rwanda and Burundi was not in any way meant to be scornful or contemptuous, and if any of the Africans present felt this I am genuinely sorry. The point I was trying to make was that with the implosion of the Soviet Union there was really no scope left for non-alignment in its classical sense, and I simply mentioned Rwanda and Burundi in that context and wondered, somewhat humorously I thought, whether we could be non-aligned between them.

In any case, I have become so used to my speeches being praised that it is refreshing to read a critical review, for which I am grateful to Mr Uniyal.