INS Vikrant is definitely going to boost our maritime capabilities. I congratulate Cochin Shipyard and the Indian Navy for coming up with India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier in record time. All the world’s advanced navies operate aircraft carriers and they are the need of the hour (‘She shall rule the waves’, August 28). I hope, in the coming years, we can make carriers that can carry up to 70 aircraft, like the gigantic ones the US has at its disposal. Power projection is required in today’s times, and, India, as a potential superpower, has global interests. Our aircraft carriers should move all around the world and not limit themselves to the Indian Ocean.

 

Gaurav Malhotra,

On email.

 

Your article on the making of Vikrant was insightful. My heart swells with pride when I see an indigenous marvel built at Cochin Shipyard, which has saved $2 billion for our exchequer. It is a testimony to the potential and synergy of Atmanirbhar Bharat. I am looking forward to more such cover stories.

 

J. Sriram,

Chennai.

 

Building an aircraft career was a mammoth job, meticulously done by our engineers. They proved that India has world-class capabilities and the wherewithal to manufacture required military equipment indigenously. INS Vikrant would effectively establish Indian presence in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue like groupings and increase its agility in the Indo-Pacific region, so far aggressively ventured by the Chinese navy. If commissioned in western waters, Vikrant would secure our energy routes and act as a deterrence to hostile neighbouring countries.

 

Devendra Awasthi,

Lucknow.

 

Atmanirbharata in the Indian Navy began decades ago. It was not INS Delhi in 1997 but INS Godavari in 1983, which started the Navy’s indigenous design and manufacture stride. Until then, six Nilgiri-class ships were built to a British design with some progressive changes. But, the Godavari design was all our own. The designer, Mohan Ram, then a commander, presided over TVS Motor Company later, and is now a senior adviser with that firm. The staff requirements of the design were drawn up by me, then a commander.

 

Premvir Das, retired vice admiral, Indian Navy,

On email.

 

We need aircraft carriers to establish our presence in waters, far away from our territorial boundaries. With the induction of Vikrant, the second medium-size aircraft carrier indigenously built at Cochin Shipyard, India has joined the select club of nations who can design and manufacture aircraft carriers. It is indeed a proud moment.

 

The statistics on the available infrastructure inside Vikrant are mind-boggling with two gigantic power generators with a capacity to generate daily four lakh litres of water and massive compartments for servicing aircraft and helicopters.

 

R.V. Baskaran,

On email.

 

Your cover story on the making of Vikrant was interesting and thought-provoking. I congratulate the engineers and other staff in Cochin Shipyard for giving a boost to national security. India is cornered by formidable enemies in and around strategic waters and having an indigenous aircraft carrier will help the Navy.

 

Surinder Sharma,

On email.

 

Ponder over it

Upendra Kushwaha said Nitish Kumar has all qualities to be the prime minister (‘Tough job’, August 28). Any leader can claim that his leader has the potential to become the next president. If someone says these things and then switches parties, he may claim that the leader of that party has the potential to become prime minister or chief minister. Doing and thinking are not the same. Do you possess the strength or ability to manage the country before criticising others? This inquiry is directed at each party, separately.

 

Kondepogu Antony Raj,

On email.

 

Why the omissions?

While the Independence Day issue was well appreciated, two notable omissions left a bad taste (‘The platinum album’, August 21).

 

First, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s photograph was missing, while you have unnecessarily put the photograph of Nizam of Hyderabad. Also, there should have been a line extolling the role of Patel in integrating hundreds of princely states of India, instead of a casual mention of his sending troops to Hyderabad.

 

Second, there was no photograph of Lal Bahadur Shastri and his contributions to our country. We were unfortunate to lose him so early.

 

These omissions show that the cover story toed the tutored historical line, with a lot of eminent contributors, before and after independence, not finding any mention in it.

 

Can’t we be more faithful to the actual history?

 

Lalji Dwivedi,

Mumbai.

 

Good pictures, gripping

A photograph is worth a thousand words. The photographs for the Independence Day issue were fascinating. It can be stored as a collector’s edition.

 

Thomas J. Philip,

On email.

 

I always vouch for your stories and photographs by Bhanu Prakash Chandra. However, this week, I would like to acknowledge Rekha Dixit’s cover story. It made me happy and exceeded my expectations.

 

I was born in the 1980s. While reading the cover story, I could walk through the major events that unfolded post 1980s. It was a good experience to see how India shaped and reshaped post-independence. I read it one go.

 

I have told my eight-year-old son to read it.

 

Vaishali Tak,

Bengaluru.