Apropos Sayed Asif Ibrahim being appointed IB chief (Smokin’ Abe, Dec 10), we can call ourselves secular only when we stop referring to an individual’s religion or caste when writing about him in a non-secular matter, as this is.

> Bonita Very well said

  It would appear, there is no better espionage than internal security. We should not be in a position to say, that Pakistan causes bomb blasts in India, when the people there, feel, that they are acting in patriotism. If a state says, that another state sponsors terrorism, then govt.'s loose credibility, even the state who suspects. How can anyone brook the idea, that a state has sent civilians to wreck havoc, and the govt. had to acknoledge loss of life, property, and limb, of the very many, as a result, and consequence?

The greatest compliment anybody can pay an IB chief is to fail to recognise him. If the new IB chief works behind the scenes to ensure that ordinary people can live normal lives then the absence of lurid headlines will be the greatest proof of his competence.

Best wishes to Mr.Ibrahim. To paraphrase: "May you live in uninteresting times".

Psychology of Indian politicians, is that if a particular group of people is doing well, then it is fashionable to 'tame' them by reserving seats against them, and thus smearing all the hard work they have done through a life-time, with favoritism s**t.

Thus, for eg., ex-chief Raman wants a female to head the intelligence, and now, someone 'favoured' a minority member to head it. 

Rubbishing talent for imagined 'equality'.

Subjective criteria is in play in any posting that requires one ( or a few ) persons own feelings, rather than expecting the candidates to objectively comapre their qualification for the job. In this kind of 'selection process', females stand a 'natural' advantage, as anybody who has a female competitor would know all too well.

I am sure all agree, that Gender is very powerful, and when the candidate is female and the boss is male ( or female, for that matter ), even traditionally powerful factors like religion and caste become secondary. 

Objective assessment for any posting is important, and a systematic method of objectively analysing career achievments alone will ensure that real talent is not neglected and bureaucrats are not disadvantaged / demoralised.

 We can call ourselves a secular country when we stop referring to an individual's religion or caste when writing about him. Until that day comes, we can keep fooling ourselves.

Journo Raman would have been delighted to see a female occupy the top position, instead of some experienced and intelligent old male.

Journo Raman would have been delighted to see a female occupy the top position, instead of some experienced and intelligent old male.

 We can call ourselves a secular country when we stop referring to an individual's religion or caste when writing about him. Until that day comes, we can keep fooling ourselves.

Psychology of Indian politicians, is that if a particular group of people is doing well, then it is fashionable to 'tame' them by reserving seats against them, and thus smearing all the hard work they have done through a life-time, with favoritism s**t.

Thus, for eg., ex-chief Raman wants a female to head the intelligence, and now, someone 'favoured' a minority member to head it. 

Rubbishing talent for imagined 'equality'.

Subjective criteria is in play in any posting that requires one ( or a few ) persons own feelings, rather than expecting the candidates to objectively comapre their qualification for the job. In this kind of 'selection process', females stand a 'natural' advantage, as anybody who has a female competitor would know all too well.

I am sure all agree, that Gender is very powerful, and when the candidate is female and the boss is male ( or female, for that matter ), even traditionally powerful factors like religion and caste become secondary. 

Objective assessment for any posting is important, and a systematic method of objectively analysing career achievments alone will ensure that real talent is not neglected and bureaucrats are not disadvantaged / demoralised.

The greatest compliment anybody can pay an IB chief is to fail to recognise him. If the new IB chief works behind the scenes to ensure that ordinary people can live normal lives then the absence of lurid headlines will be the greatest proof of his competence.

Best wishes to Mr.Ibrahim. To paraphrase: "May you live in uninteresting times".

  It would appear, there is no better espionage than internal security. We should not be in a position to say, that Pakistan causes bomb blasts in India, when the people there, feel, that they are acting in patriotism. If a state says, that another state sponsors terrorism, then govt.'s loose credibility, even the state who suspects. How can anyone brook the idea, that a state has sent civilians to wreck havoc, and the govt. had to acknoledge loss of life, property, and limb, of the very many, as a result, and consequence?

> Bonita Very well said