The article, “Tea-selling Narendra Modi” (Jan. 21), was a refreshing piece of writing and wonderful satire. The mock letter came as a real tension-buster amid news columns filled with disturbing issues. No job is menial. An ordinary tea-seller who does his job with honesty and sincerity is much more valuable than a corrupt politician. It is high time politicians abjured such war of words.
T. Anand Raj,
Chennai
It is indeed a commentary on our times and our diminishing sense of humour that this excellent piece by Sashi Kumar had to be explicitly described in the subsidiary headline as “satire”.
Ashok Dey,
Bangalore
Let Mani Shankar Aiyar be informed that food processing is among the greatest industries around the globe. If by “tea-seller” Mr. Aiyar referred to persons who rose from the grassroots, he must be reminded that history is replete with examples of eminent persons who have begun from the lowest rung of society and influenced society. Every Congressman in the country is a successor to Mahatma Gandhi, who spent his life in the pursuit of equal treatment for the minorities and the marginalised. Had the Mahatma attended the Congress session in question, he would have broken his fast to sip a few drops of tea prepared by a fellow-Gujarati.
K.C. Kalkura,
Kurnool
