Letters to the Editor

Rural India

THE agrarian crisis is assuming dangerous dimensions (Cover Story, March 4). It is particularly worrisome to note that even the usually fertile areas in the country have been adversely affected. When agriculture gets hit, the main sufferers are naturally farmers and farm labourers. Farmer suicides are continuing, with large numbers occurring in States such as Maharashtra and Telangana.

The National Democratic Alliance government has done precious little in the past two years of its rule to lift the agriculture sector out of the morass it is in, and farmers have been left to fend for themselves. Famine is inevitable in several parts of the country if the drought continues this year too. A drinking water crisis is looming in all the areas affected by drought. The NDA government needs to face up to the challenge of drought.

J. Anantha Padmanabhan, Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu

THE Cover Story “Dying villages” (March 4) was timely and gave the true picture about the state of villages in India. There is a great deal of talk about smart cities and bullet trains. The real issue and crisis is the water problem. This needs to be dealt with at the national level on a war footing. If not attended to soon, it will reach catastrophic proportions and hit everyone, including people living in urban areas, who feign ignorance and live in a delusion of safety.

S. Dinni, Bengaluru

Crimes against women

THE landmark verdict in the Kamduni rape and murder case shows that justice delayed may not always be justice denied (“This fortnight”, “Death sentence in gang-rape case”, March 4). Kudos to Tumpa Koyal and Moushumi Koyal, friends of the victim and the face of the Kamduni movement, for their indomitable courage in the fight for justice. This victory of the villagers of Kamduni will be an inspiration to women’s fights for justice in the face of male violence.

Buddhadev Nandi, Bishnupur, West Bengal

Bullet trains

CONSIDERING the huge investment required for the bullet train project, it is a luxury India can ill afford (“Risky route”, March 4). Passenger comfort, punctuality of trains, accident-free running and modernisation of the system are more urgent needs of the Indian Railways than a fancy bullet train project, which India appears to be indulging in just because it wants to be on a par with China and other countries. The plight of those travelling by the overcrowded unreserved second class is a grim reminder of how much more needs to be done to provide comfortable travel to millions of Indians.

Perhaps more Shatabdi type of trains between major cities could be alternatives to bullet trains. The time has come to take a serious look at the proposed bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

D.B.N. Murthy, Bengaluru

WHEN the much-delayed Navi Mumbai airport and Mumbai Trans Harbour Link remain unfulfilled dreams, can the people of Gujarat and Maharashtra be optimistic about a bullet train running between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in seven years? Doubtful! If India wants to be able to rub shoulders with fast-paced Asian nations such as Japan and China and go in for such a project, it should first change its bullock-cart mindset.

K.P. Rajan, Mumbai

Rohith Vemula

THE suicide of Rohith Vemula could well be understood as a protest of the highest degree against the ill treatment the Hindu communal forces meted out to him with support from the top brass in the establishment (Cover Story, February 19). The outrage that arose in the wake of his suicide from all sections in the country should not die down until India becomes a state that can guarantee equality and justice to all its citizens irrespective of their caste and religion.

Muralidhara Rao Alajangi, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

THE Cover Story articles were heart-rending. The recent incidents of murder and humiliating atrocities perpetrated against Dalits and other marginalised sections of society in different parts of the country are disturbing.

Rohith Vemula’s suicide is yet another instance of the growing antipathy and intolerance of vested interests to their growing social and political empowerment and a grim pointer to the firm entrenchment of caste prejudice in India. In order to become an egalitarian society as envisioned by India’s founding fathers, what is needed is the demolition of the physical and mental barriers that divide people on the basis of parochial considerations such as caste and creed.

A country aspiring to be an international superpower cannot hope to achieve that status if the vast majority of its population is oppressed and discriminated against.

B. Suresh Kumar, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

CENTURIES of discrimination against Dalits in Hindu society cannot be wiped out so easily. Discrimination continues in one form or the other despite the best efforts of many reformers against discrimination.

Rohith Vemula’s sacrifice will be in vain as long as Dalits remain unfree. The Cover Story unmasked the facts of the tragedy.

G. Azeemoddin, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh

Street children

THIS is with reference to the article “Notes from the street” (February 5) about the tabloid Balaknama run by street children.

The media, NGOs and other apolitical organisations should encourage such initiatives to help children stand on their own. Political parties, however, should keep away.

Arham Tanvir, New Delhi