Letters

Readers respond to Frontline’s coverage

Farmers’ protest 2.0

Vaishna Roy’s editorial forces us in the middle class to look at what we are doing and becoming, thanks to the tropes of “success” and “failure” that have taken the place of constitutional values (Editor’s Note, March 22).

The ingratitude for the crucial role of those who till the ground to give us food is something that takes the breath away. Ram Rajya indeed!

Vasantha Surya

Bengaluru

I am a 90-year-old reader of Frontline. I was thrilled to read the newsletter about the March 22 cover story by Jinoy Jose P., especially the mention of how farming was a high-priority sector in the Nehruvian years (“The dying fields”, March 13). I was there in 1956 when Nehru visited the Nagarjuna Sagar dam, then under construction. Nehru realised the importance of the agricultural sector for India. The leaders in the current government do not have that kind of vision and faith to attend to the needs of farmers. Those who criticise our past great leaders are living in a fool’s paradise.

S. Ramanathan

Hyderabad

Thirumavalavan

As an author, scholar, and leader of a vibrant political party, Thol. Thirumavalavan is a multifaceted personality (“Political power is essential for a subaltern party”, March 22). However, his political reach in Tamil Nadu is limited because he is still not able to bring all Dalit groups under one banner. The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi enjoys just 1.5 per cent of the votes in Tamil Nadu. It is not recognised by the Election Commission and lacks an exclusive party symbol.

One agrees with Thirumavalavan that political power is essential for a subaltern party, but he has miles to go before he creates a robust political presence in the State. It is noteworthy that the consolidation of the Dalit movement and its expansion was a great challenge even for Dalit stalwarts like Kanshi Ram and Ram Vilas Paswan.

Kangayam R. Narasimhan

Chennai

Fali Nariman

As a legal luminary, Fali Nariman played a crucial role in several landmark Supreme Court judgments (“A life dedicated to the Constitution’s promise”, March 22). He was lampooned by his seniors and peers when he appeared for Union Carbide in the aftermath of the Bhopal gas tragedy, a decision he would regret in retrospect. However, it was Nariman who eventually ensured an out-of-court settlement with a decent compensation for the victims. His was a life well lived, a profession well served, and a mission well accomplished.

T.N. Venugopalan

Kochi, Kerala

Indira Jaising’s was a timely and fitting tribute to an outstanding jurist who strode the Indian judiciary like a colossus. Nariman will be remembered for his outspokenness and his unflinching commitment to act according to his convictions unmindful of the consequences.

He resigned from the post of Additional Solicitor General of India in protest against the imposition of the Emergency of 1975. He strove to make justice accessible to the common man and can be described as a “people’s jurist” who championed the cause of the underprivileged.

The glowing tribute paid by Nariman to Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer holds just as true for him: “Some judges are compared to tall oak trees, but it is only the tallest oaks, like a Denning in the UK, or a Krishna Iyer in India, who can indulge even with some success in that delicate and unpredictable exercise: of laying down the law in accordance with justice.”

B. Suresh Kumar

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

Kerala’s brain drain

As a regular reader of Frontline, I would like to both commend and thank the magazine for highlighting the issue of the migration of students from the State (“Kerala’s brain drain”, March 22). While this phenomenon is attributed to socio-economic reasons, there are several other factors, such as extreme campus politics, outdated syllabi, a rise in back-door entry to government jobs, and the fact that recruitment by the Kerala Public Service Commission is almost at a standstill.

All these reasons have compelled the youth of Kerala to leave the State in search of better prospects. Kerala’s political system should, at least from now on, act upon this.

Ajay S. Kumar

Thiruvananthapuram

Correction

In the column “Decoding AAP’s game plan” by Saba Naqvi (March 22), it was wrongly stated: “In terms of numbers in Parliament, the AAP is still a small party and currently has zero members in the Lok Sabha.” The AAP has one MP in the Lok Sabha, Sushil Kumar Rinku from Jalandhar.