Letters

Readers respond to Frontline’s coverage.

Manipur

Ethnic dichotomy compounded with governmental partisanship towards the Meitei majority was the fuse point that engulfed Manipur in violence in May 2023 (Cover Story, June 14). The Centre did nothing to heal the wounds of the Kuki community. Such a callous attitude is beyond comprehension. The less than half-hearted measures of the Centre clearly emboldened Chief Minister Biren Singh to treat the hunted as the hunters.

Ayyasseri Raveendranath

Aranmula, Kerala

Prime Minister Narendra Modi harps tirelessly on matters of religion and faith in order to polarise voters but has maintained a stony silence on Manipur where hundreds have been killed and thousands displaced. Biren Singh has proved that he is Chief Minister only for the Meitei, not the Kuki.

It is the responsibility of the double-engine sarkar to treat the Meitei and Kuki groups equally, but both governments have shirked their collective responsibility and set a terrible precedent. This does not augur well for either the Chief Minister of Manipur or the Prime Minister of the world’s largest democracy.

M.Y. Shariff

Chennai

The Cover Story poignantly captured the situation in strife-torn Manipur a year on. Although an atmosphere of eerie peace prevails at present, sporadic incidents that are reported from the State threaten to reignite the flames of violence and bloodshed.

It is appalling and a matter of utmost concern that the Central government continues to look the other way. The fact that the bloodshed continued despite Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Manipur and his talks with all the stakeholders is a clear indicator of the breakdown of the constitutional machinery in the State, making it a fit case for imposition of President’s Rule.

The continued unrest in the north-eastern State is a typical example of how a situation can get out of hand if sensitive social issues are not handled with maturity and in a time-bound manner by the powers that be.

B. Suresh Kumar

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

Democracy at stake

The article “Rise of the autocrats” (Cover Story, May 31) highlighted how democracy has been severely undermined by a largely dormant Election Commission. As foreseen by B.R. Ambedkar, the idea of bhakti, deeply rooted in Indian culture, has been weaponised in election campaigns, with the Prime Minister going so far as to project himself as a divine figure. The rituals of consecration that he performed at the inauguration of the Ram Mandir were a tactic to foster hero worship and pave the way for autocratisation.

The Election Commission’s deafening silence on the many violations of the Model Code of Conduct threaten the very idea of free and fair elections. The only hope is that citizens will be more alert and aware and vote out those who practise divisive politics.

Swalahuddeen P.I.

Bellare, Karnataka

OBC politics

It is evident that the BJP raked up the issue of OBC politics only with the motive of pinning down the Congress, which promised Muslims reservation during the election campaign (“Failing the OBC test”, May 31). Narendra Modi’s no-holds-barred attack on the Congress manifesto in an election rally at Banswara and his claim that the Congress would take away people’s wealth, only to redistribute it among Muslims, set off a stormy debate. Even as the Congress accused the BJP of polarising the election, the fact remains that the Congress itself has been openly indulging in appeasement politics for the sake of Muslim votes.

It seems that the BJP is in panic mode after its narrative of “Ab ki baar 400 paar” backfired. Perhaps, Modi is not fully confident of rocking the Congress cradle with his new-found love for the OBC community. History shows us that misplaced priorities and erroneous assertions by the BJP may not be enough to take it along the path of victory by any stretch of imagination.

K.R. Srinivasan

Secunderabad, Telangana