The judiciary
FOUR senior judges addressing a press conference on the issues dogging the Supreme Court shows that all is not well in the nation’s highest court (Cover Story, February 16). The serious allegations the judges levelled against the Chief Justice of India have far-reaching consequences for not only the administration of the CJI’s office but also the overall judicial system. This rebellion has shocked the nation and is an indication that the judiciary is slowly losing its credibility. The CJI has to take remedial measures on a priority basis, otherwise the dangerous precedent the four judges set will only pave the way for more dissent by judges and will ultimately lead to the collapse of the rule of law. It is important that the judiciary maintains its independence and resolves the issue internally without succumbing to diktats from other wings of the government.
K.R. Srinivasan, Secunderabad, Telangana
THE judges’ press conference has become a subject of public debate. Does the public not have a right to know what is happening in the judiciary? After all, the courts are for the people. A “committed judiciary” is not in the interest of any democracy. India needs a law on judicial accountability and regional benches of the Supreme Court.
Deendayal M. Lulla, Mumbai
India & Israel
INDIA has a normal relationship with Israel despite its friendship with Arab nations (“Birds of a feather”, February 16). Trade between India and Israel is growing. There was no need for India to be “apologetic” that it voted against the proposal to make Jerusalem the capital of Israel. While one sympathises with the Jewish people for the persecution they suffered under the Nazis, Israel’s record vis-a-vis the Palestinians leaves much to be desired. It continues to build settlements illegally on occupied land and resorts to air strikes and so on at the slightest provocation.
India has much to learn from Israel on how to make a desert bloom. Israel has a strong army with compulsory military service for its youth. However, one wishes that it would deal with its Arab neighbours on the principle of “live and let live” instead of being so aggressive all the time. India should nudge Israel towards building bridges of understanding and friendship with Arabs, Palestinians in particular. Israel’s neighbours should accept that the country exists and cannot be wiped out. As a first step towards improving relations, the controversial move to make Jerusalem the capital of Israel should not be acted upon.
D.B.N. Murthy, Bengaluru
THE article was unduly critical of Israel and India’s efforts to strengthen ties and missed out several important facts. India and Israel have cordial ties. Both countries are vibrant democracies that have been victims of terrorism and religious fundamentalism. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit was welcome and will further cement relations between the countries. The collaboration goes much beyond the realm of defence and extends to the agricultural sector, which has resulted in India introducing the latest technological innovations, especially in relation to drip irrigation projects.
The writer seemed to have forgotten the atrocities the Jewish state’s Arab neighbours have perpetrated on it. Israel has not been allowed to live in peace since it was formed on May 14, 1948. Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria invaded Israel the very next day. The Arab nations made repeated attempts to snuff out the life of the new Jewish state. It has repeatedly been forced to retaliate in self-defence. Terrorists across the world speak only in the language of violence, and Israel has caught the imagination of a vast number of people across the world because it responds in kind. The security and interests of its citizens are paramount to Israel unlike in India where vote-bank politics and armchair critics dominate the headlines.
B. Suresh Kumar, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
Gnani Sankaran
THE article “A man of many hues” (February 16) gloriously limned the multifaceted personality of the social activist Gnani Sankaran. He tirelessly waged a battle against social maladies unmindful of his health and financial implications. His “O Pakkangal” column discussed social problems and tried to persuade readers to his point of view, and his plays were laden with messages to make people think about their polarising belief systems and offensive social mores.
Although he underwent ordeals in his journalistic career because of his unrelenting principles and formidable candour, he stuck to his resolve. He proved that writing is not only a passion but also an act of assertion. Sociocentric writers are the conscience-keepers of the nation and Gnani’s departure evoked a deep sense of sadness in me.
B. Rajasekaran, Bengaluru
2G verdict
THE reputable scientist Carl Sagan observed on the existence of extraterrestrials: “Absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence” (“The great telecom swindle”, January 19). This observation could be a plausible explanation for the anticlimax in the 2G spectrum case. The major beneficiaries of the policy are big corporates, and they manage to stay off the radar by getting individual corrupt politicians framed. The deafening silence of the 2G spectrum crusaders post-judgment is intriguing.
Ayyasseri Raveendranath, Aranmula, Kerala
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