If students and workers from the north-eastern region had not felt insecure and unsettled in Bangalore, their panic would not have spread with such ferocity (Cover Story, September 21). The fact that they saw escape as the only option speaks about the states inability to inspire trust among people.
Some years ago, a Naga had suggested that the Centre do away with the expression north-east in official communications to collectively identify the States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. His argument was that since each State had its own peculiarities and problems, the term north-east concealed their distinct identities. Perhaps this issue deserves attention.
Vani A. HyderabadEvery citizen has a constitutional right to move freely and to settle in any part of the country. The migration of unorganised labourers from the north-eastern States to different parts of the country is a direct offshoot of the continued neglect of these States and other backward regions by the governments in the States and at the Centre.
The economic and social costs of converting agricultural land to non-agricultural uses have not been examined seriously in the neoliberal era. While the government claims to have pumped in enormous funds for the development of the Bundelkhand region and the eastern corridor, in reality no material change has taken place and people continue to suffer.
Ettirankandath Krishnadas Palakkad, KeralaIt is unfortunate that the country faces violent protests and agitations even after 65 years of independence. The government should handle sensitive issues with utmost care.
Only by ensuring greater economic freedom and equal opportunities can the people of the country be empowered in all spheres of life.
P. Senthil Saravana Durai Vazhavallan, Tamil Nadu
Promoting DalitsThis is with reference to the article Promoting justice (September 21). One argument against reservation is that it goes against the principle of meritocracy. The refrain is: Jobs should go to the most able, or else the quality of public service will go down.
The principle of reservation was justified because the scourge of untouchability rendered affirmative action imperative. Should the policy of reservation be reviewed? No.
Atrocities against Dalits have not decreased. Most reservation quotas for them remain unfilled because the number of qualified Dalits who can avail themselves of the benefits of reservation is insufficient. This is because most Dalits are poor and cannot afford proper education.
J. Akshobhya Mysore, KarnatakaJulian AssangeBy jumping bail and seeking asylum, Julian Assange has created a diplomatic situation without precedent (Asylum & stand-off, September 21).
In the miasma of allegations, suspicions and plain lies surrounding the incident, everyone is doing something wrong. The United Kingdom is correct in seeking to extradite Assange. It has a legal commitment to Sweden. But entering the premises of the Ecuadorean Embassy would be a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Ecuador may have erred in granting asylum since a person charged with a non-political crimeAssange faces trial for sexual assaultis barred from seeking refugee status. But it has erred on the side of state morality since a threat to Assanges life and liberty cannot be ruled out.
K.S. Jayatheertha, BangaloreEcuadors firm stand on granting asylum to Assange is a slap in the face for the United States and other Western governments. Britains threat to strip Ecuadors embassy of diplomatic status and capture Assange in order to extradite him to Sweden exposes the Wests double standards as far as press freedom and human rights are concerned.
Neeraj Kumar Jha Madhubani, BiharA few years ago, there were allegations of rape against the chief of police of the Swedish city of Upsala but they were not investigated properly. And the same Upsala police is now investigating Assanges case. This does not to absolve Assange of any sexual crimes against women. But why the double standards?
Deendayal M. Lulla MumbaiCoal scamThe Comptroller and Auditor Generals report on allocation of coal blocks offered the countrys leaders a chance to evolve a broad-based, integrated and internationally competitive standard policy on minerals. Instead of doing this, they have been wasting the precious time of Parliament in allegations and counter-allegations (Coal fire, September 21).
Syed Khaja New DelhiPrime Minister Manmohan Singh is a past master in the art of defending corruption and the corrupt. Even though many scams have occurred during his tenures as the Finance Minister and Prime Minister, he attributes everything to system failure. Every Minister is innocent, but the nation and the public continue to be looted.
S. Raghunatha Prabhu Alappuzha, KeralaRail safetyThe main reason for frequent train accidents is laxity on the part of Railway officials in ensuring strict implementation of safety norms (Ailing behemoth, September 21). The Railway top brass owes an explanation to the nation as to why accidents have increased of late?
K.R. Srinivasan SecunderabadGodhra verdictThe conviction of 32 people in the Naroda Patiya massacre during the post-Godhra riots in 2002 once again proves the strength of our judiciary (Triumph of justice, September 21).
There is little doubt that Maya Kodnani, three-time MLA from Naroda and a Minister in the Narendra Modi government, had the full backing of the government.
Buddhadev Nandi Bishnupur, West BengalVery, very specialVijay Lokapally has paid a perfect tribute to one of Indias finest batsman, V.V.S. Laxman (A selfless cricketer, September 21). Laxmans retirement from international cricket brings to an end a majestic career. He personified style at the crease and was at ease facing all sorts of bowlers on all kinds of wickets. When on song, he was full of grace and style. For connoisseurs of the game, Laxmans exit is a sad event.
J. Anantha Padmanabhan SrirangamLaxman was a cricketer who put the teams cause ahead of personal milestones, and the way he conducted himself on and off the field was impeccable. He was the unsung bulwark of Indias middle order for over a decade and a half.
He will be missed. Adios, VVS.N.C. Vamshi Krishna SecunderabadMaternal healthMost of the government schemes aimed at improving maternal health have failed to achieve the desired results (A battle half won, September 21). The situation is dire in the Hindi-belt States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
It is a human rights issue, and governments both at the Centre and the States should use their political might to make motherhood safer.
Women and adolescent girls must be empowered and made aware of the legal age for marriage and their human rights, including their right to good quality services, and information regarding care during pregnancy and after childbirth.
Anil Kumar Yadav GangtokArmed forcesOf the three armed services, the Army has the most number of soldiers (Breaking down, September 21).
These soldiers are under the command of company commanders who are of the rank of captain or major and are in the 2228 age group. These officers are young, enthusiastic and want to prove a point to their seniors and commanding officers. They should be trained to handle jawans sensitively.
Pankaj Kataria Faridabad, HaryanaGranite lootIt is shocking to learn how the granite mafia loots the mineral wealth of the country with the blessings of the ruling class and important political parties (Great granite loot, September 7).
I must congratulate the former Madurai Collector U. Sagayam for initiating action in the Tamil Nadu case. Unfortunately, the state kept quiet and the mafia, with the help of certain police and revenue officials, got away with the loot that caused great harm to farmers in the area.
R. Srinivasan ChennaiThe granite loot has caused immense damage to historical monuments. The government must punish the violators and restore archaeological sites.
Bipin Chandra Shah Malegaon, MaharashtraAssam identityCultural diversity, barring a few eruptions now and then, had always nestled comfortably in the vibrant concept of India. Identity establishment and identity-related clashes have given way to wider acceptability and tolerance, and frontiers and boundaries are giving way to freer inflow and outflow of trade as well as cultures.
The geographical location of Assam had made the State lag behind in development with respect to the rest of India. But it is illogical to demand an identity of a pure and specific north-eastern region in the cultural melting pot of the nation (Thirst for identity, September 7).
This constant search for identity would only rupture the Assamese jati, even in its homeland, and lead to further conflicts with each group trying to find a separate identity for itself. This will adversely affect its culture wealth and take it back to square one.
Jayshree Dutta Guwahati* * *CorrectionIn the article Promoting justice (September 21), on page 109, the following sentences should read as given below with the changes highlighted:
(Middle column, seventh line from the top): By this standard, administration and governance in India were notoriously lacking in efficiency, notwithstanding the presence of a number of sincere individuals in it, even before the shadow of a single S.C, S.T. or a B.C. fell on it.
(Third column, third paragraph): The 50 per cent limit appeared first in the Balaji case (1963) and was spelt out in the Mandal judgment not as a judicial prescription but as a limit emerging from the Mandal judgments analysis of the relevant constitutional provisions.
The last sentence of the above paragraph should read as follows: At the Central level, this reservation is currently 15 per cent [for S.Cs] and 7.5 per cent [for S.Ts] unlike direct recruitment, in which there is reservation for B.Cs also of 27 per cent.
(Third column, last paragraph): The present population-equivalent proportion for the S.Cs and S.Ts (on the basis of the 2001 Census) is 16.2 per cent and 8.2 per cent respectively.
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