Letters

Readers write in

Redesigned Frontline

AS a regular reader of Frontline since its inception, I welcome the magazine’s makeover Frontline, June 16). The cover looked great, and the 16 additional pages made the issue more interesting. These are days when reading seems to be on wane, and it is magazines like Frontline that preserve the joy of reading.

The photo essay (“Violence visualised”, June 16) needs a special mention because it educated readers about harsh, dark realities. Frontline covers all issues, and that is why it is preferred over other magazines.

Balasubramaniam Pavani

Secunderabad, Telangana

CONGRATULATIONS, Team Frontline. The redesigned Frontline is simply elegant. The refurbishment has added to the ease of reading, but the important attributes of the magazine have been retained.

The return of Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister has reignited the hopes of the people of Karnataka as he has years of experience as an able administrator and an astute politician (Cover Story, June 16). In the recent Assembly election, opposition parties tried out a new agenda, and it turned out to be successful. If the same amount of political will and unity can be emulated at the national level by a united opposition, undoubtedly it will pose a formidable challenge to the ruling BJP.

T.N. Venugopalan

Kochi, Kerala

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on May 22. | Photo Credit: Ishant/ANI

THE Cover Story made for such interesting and inspiring reading. Siddaramaiah becoming Chief Minister for the second time is an endorsement of the communal harmony that prevailed during his earlier tenure. Before one achieves ultimate success, one goes through trials and tribulations, thus Siddaramaiah’s life struggle from a poor family to Chief Minister is motivating for youngsters. Now, the minorities have great expectations of him.

Ubaida Abul Hasanat

Basirhat, West Bengal

OWING to its comfortable majority, the government in Karnataka should be able to meet people’s expectations if it chooses to. The Cover Story article “Get back to basics” highlighted how India’s political class has failed to see (or acknowledge) the wood for the trees by extending handouts to voters instead of providing basic services such as health, education, and job creation. If the present government can contain corruption in public life as it promised to do, voters will feel reasonably rewarded.

The new avatar of Frontline is more reader-friendly and aesthetic than before.

Ayyasseri Raveendranath

Aranmula, Kerala

AS an avid reader of Frontline for over a decade, it was a pleasant surprise to read the latest version of the magazine. It is impressive, and the new design and content are attractive . The arrangement of the headlines, drop caps, and photographs makes it easier for readers to navigate through the magazine and grasp the content. However, I feel that the font size could have been increased to make it reader-friendly, especially for senior citizens, and that the space for the “Letters” column needed to be increased. However, on the whole, with its latest avatar, Frontline stands equal to any other reputed international magazine both in quality and in content.

B. Suresh Kumar

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

KUDOS to Frontline on its new design and new approach in print and online with an app. I am delighted to be a reader from its first issue onwards and feel that every issue imparts a rewarding experience.

The Cover Story came out with an action plan from a journalistic perspective on the heels of Cabinet formation in Karnataka. Revenue generation is key to the Congress government being able to fulfil and sustain the guarantees it promised voters. Its actions have to pass muster with voters. One wishes that what happened in Karnataka will be replicated across the nation in the parliamentary election in 2024.

B. Rajasekaran

Bengaluru

IT is interesting to see Frontline in an all-new format. Flipping through the pages of the new issue, one can see the hard work that went into bringing it out. Most mastheads of English magazines worldwide have been red for a long time now. Frontline has taken a step in the right direction by making a shift from this tradition. Even though it takes readers time to get familiar with a new format, Frontline’s hard work must be welcomed. Kudos to Team Frontline!

P. Senthil Saravana Durai

Vazhavallan, Tamil Nadu

Manipur

A poster put by members of the Kuki community demanding their land rights, at Churachandpur district of Manipur on May 17. | Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR

IT is a matter of concern that the majority has become habituated to attacking minorities, especially since Narendra Modi rose to power (“This is my land”, June 16). In the last decade, India has witnessed increased sociopolitical polarisation among its citizens along religion and caste lines, and it has left Indians disheartened and concerned about the future of the country and embarrassed. The conflict in Manipur between the Meitei people and tribal communities has caught the world’s eye and made India look bad globally.

Shihan P.P. Kanhileri

Mattannur, Kerala

Wrestlers’ protest

The wrestlers Sangeeta Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat along with supporters on a protest march from Jantar Mantar to the new Parliament building on May 28. | Photo Credit: Amit Sharma/ANI

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi has been lackadaisical in handling the wrestlers’ protest (“A long wait for social justice”, June 16). They sat in dharna for over four months demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Across the country, when ordinary people are accused of sexual offences, they are promptly arrested.

The government’s ostrich-like approach in this case gives credence to Rahul Gandhi’s charge that Singh enjoys the protection of the Prime Minister. With the problem attracting international attention, a speedy and unbiased investigation of the matter will go a long way in establishing the rule of law.

Kangayam R. Narasimhan

Chennai

Delhi

EVERYBODY is equal and nobody is above the law, and Parliament too is not above the law, so the Central government’s use of an ordinance to nullify the Supreme Court’s judgment on the Delhi government’s jurisdiction over services is against the Constitution (“Ordinance overreach”, June 16). Ordinances must be thrown out lock, stock, and barrel and prevented from being reintroduced in any other form. Since Lt Governors and Governors perform the role of impartial referees, those who are partial must be permanently blacklisted.

Peter Castellino

Mumbai

THE Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment that states that services come under the jurisdiction of the Delhi Assembly and that the Delhi government, not the Lieutenant Governor, has absolute control over the appointments, transfers, and postings of its officers. But the Central government instantly nullified this ruling through an ordinance that hands over all powers on a platter to the LG. This goes against the Constitution and robs the elected State government of all its powers. The ordinance allows the LG to interfere with routine government functions and is an indication of the BJP’s attempt to clip the wings of the State government.

M.Y. Shariff

Chennai

Bhopal gas disaster

THE interview with Rachana Dhingra (“Court abdicated its responsibility”, June 2) on her fight for the survivors of the Bhopal gas disaster brought to mind the four-decade-old tragedy. It was shocking to learn that 93 per cent of the survivors received a paltry sum and that too after an inordinate delay.

It was horrifying to read that toxic waste from the abandoned factory site has spread well beyond the site and is causing serious health problems for people in the vicinity. A special task force needs to be set up to work on the removal of this waste, reclaiming the surface soil to make it fit for agriculture, and to provide safe drinking water.

R.V. Baskaran

Chennai