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Readers’ Forum Manmohan challenges Supreme Court : Dr Manmohan Singh’s latest tirade against the Supreme Court asking it not to get into "the realm of policy formulation", is totally unwarranted. It appears that Dr Manmohan Singh has gone senile. His remarks on the Supreme Court’s order directing the government to distribute foodgrains free to the poor rather than let them rot are quite ridiculous. He has said "that policy formulation should remain the concern of the policymakers and the government of the day. How can foodgrains be distributed free to an estimated 37 per cent of the population which lives below the poverty line?" By protesting against this humanitarian suggestion does Manmohan Singh wants to show that it is his government’s policy to allow the foodgrains to rot due to improper storage rather than putting it to use for mitigating the suffering of the poor? By passing this intemperate remark he has not only opened himself to ridicule but has also sent a wrong signal to his colleagues to defy the Supreme Court. It shows the state apathy towards the unprivileged masses. -MAYA MISHRA, Delhi Our MPs deserve no pay hike (Organiser, 12-9-2010); MV Kamath’s regular column, ‘Moving Finger Writes’ writes about pay hike of MP’s. To my mind it is not the question of hiking their pay but whether to give salary to them or not. Compare freedom fighters of yester years with greedy money chaser politicians of today. We would not have got Independence if politicians of those days instead of fighting imperialism had been running after money as is being done by the politicians of today. What message people of our country will get after seeing MP’s greedily quarrelling for massive increase of their salary in the Parliament. In fact the Parliament has become a place of loot for these greedy politicians. Assets declared by the MPs are not amassing but shocking. Can’t these greedy politicians behave humanly and do the job neatly for which they have been elected by the public and stop fighting for increase of their salary. -Prof PARESH, Chandigarh *   *   * The Planning Commission has rightly rejected the demand for an increase in the revenue allocated to MPs for the development of their constituencies form the present Rs two crore to Rs five crore. The government spending could if properly designed, serve as a vital ingredient to development. But today politicians think that politics is a business and not a mission. The rural and urban divide is widening despite availability of funds to develop constituencies. A government that truly represents and serves the people is needed. -AJIT SINGH, Canada Find early solution to temple issue (Organiser, 8-8-2010 ); Speaking at the Ramjamabhoomi seminar in New Delhi, Dr MM Joshi rightly said that the honour of a nation lies in preserving its places of worship. Demolishing Ram Mandir, by an invader Muslim King Babur, was bad , worse to build masjid on disputed site, against Islamic tenets, still worse, not restoring it to the rightful owner, even after becoming emperor of India. Need of the hour is to rebuild Mandir on the Ramjanmabhoomi site, through mutual accord, or by Judicial verdict, like British Privy Council’s judgment, of restoring Shaheed Ganj Masjid, built on demolished Gurdwara, to the SGPC. -PRAN SALHOTRA, Gurdaspur An excellent education on Hindu-Muslim entente (Organiser, 12-9-2010); Comments of Shri MV Kamath on the book, Parallel Pathways: Essays on Hindu-Muslim Relations 1707-1857, by Meenakshi Jain are educative. He has rightly suggested for the translation of the book into a number of languages, so that a wide section of the public can read it. Seeing is believing. I went to see the Qutab Minar in 1947. Near the tomb a steel plate was put by the Archeological Department of India reading something like this "This structure was one of the mosque built from the debries brought from the demolition of temples." The plate was subsequently removed but the structure still speaks the truth. -PR KRISHNA, Himachal Pradesh BJP’s maturity The support given by the BJP to the government on the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill shows the maturity of the Indian democracy. With the support of the BJP the government was saved from the blackmail by smaller players. -AMARJIT SINGH GORAYA, Griffith, NSW Gilani’s detrimental conditions Five conditions put before Union Government by the separatist Kashmiri leader Sayyed Ali Gilani for restoration of peace in the Valley are not only detrimental but also anti-national. Hence they deserve to be condemned and rejected. I fully agree that he should be put behind the bars as demanded by eminent counsel and BJP MP Shri Ramjethmalani. In fact Gilani should have been detained long back on the charges of sedition. His threat to accelerate quit Kashmir movement if his five conditions are not conceded by the GoI is a clear indication of his anti national stance. He has to clarify that to whom he has been asking to quit Kashmir. Before urging others to quit he himself should quit Kashmir for ever to go to his beloved Pakistan since such type of threats and conditions which are against the interest of the nation can be given only by traitors. After all he is puppet in the hands of Pakistan which has been financing him for hiring hundreds of fanatic Muslim youth for pelting stones on the security personnels. Violence by any section of the society should be dealt with firmly. For that free hand and sophisticated weapons should be given to security forces. So that they can effectively crush the subversive activities carried out by internal and external enemies. Stringent action should be taken against Gilani for putting detrimental and anti-national conditions. -SRIDHAR V KULKARNI, Kalyan (West), Mumbai Islam’s true colour There is a stream of reports of suicide terrorist attacks form Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. during the month of Ramzan. At the same time Pakistan is experiencing unprecedented floods in vast areas with serious aftermaths. Pakistan is expecting large scale international humanitarian aid which is not forthcoming. However the failed state is already being perceived to have been consumed by terrorism as per the donar countries. It seems the so-called true followers of Islam like the Taliban, Al-Quaida and other terrorists have waged a war not only against non-believers of Islam but also aganist other Muslims. The Shias, Ahmadiyas, Mohajirs and police are believed to be fake Muslims by them and are being targeted. There are examples galore of our secular country going soft against terrorists during the Ramzan month, which includes ceasefire declarations. Quran recommends various dreaded torture measures against idol worshippers and non-believers of Islam in its 10 Paras, 9 Suras, 5 Ayats, 5-4-56, 22-33-61. However there seems to be no instruction in Quran to act against fellow Muslims during the month of Ramzan. Indian Government with its penchant for Muslim appeasement must recognise the true colour of Islam which is only bloodshed. Only then can it deal effectively with the terrorist monster. -Dr (Maj) UMACHARAN PANIGRAHI, Orissa Dilution of AFSPA would be suicidal The violent agitation in Kashmir with pronounced overtone of secessionism has to be dealt with firmly. The way agitators instigated by separatist leaders, hardliners and moderates, have been targeting public properties, ransacking and burning them recklessly and indiscriminately, is an ominous signal for the country as a whole. After confronting police and paramilitary forces, now the call has been given to lay siege of army posts and garrisons which can’t but be viewed with grave concern. This is a call not different from sedition. Against such volatile situation created by the separatist leaders, any dilution of AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Power Act) would not only be suicidal but also endanger the security and integrity of the country as whole. A group of retired army generals which included General J J Singh and Lt Gen S K Sinha voicing their serious concern rightly said, "Scrapping or lifting of the Act would not solve the problem in Kashmir or north-east. It will simply mean giving in to terrorists’ demands." Army Chief V K Singh has cautioned against any attempt to tamper with the Act. The military has made it clear that it is reluctant to operate in Jammu and Kashmir or any insurgency area without the Act. Even Defence Minister A K Antony and Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad have expressed their reservations against tinkering with the Act. From all indications, it is now clear that the violence in Kashmir which has a democratically elected government of Omar Sheikh Abdullah is orchestrated and fuelled by forces which have been exposed umpteen times. Kashmir has always been receiving liberal financial packages from the Centre to meet the hopes and aspirations of Kashmiris who are better off than 42 crore people living below poverty line in 8 central and northern states of the country as revealed in the research findings of the Multidimensional Poverty Index developed and applied by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative with UNDP support. Exclusive Constitutional provisions have given Kashmiris enough democratic rights for redressal of their genuine grievances. The Centre should send clear message to the separatist leaders to end violence before any dialogue can be initiated. Significantly, America and Britain who used to be on the frontline to condemn India for violation of human rights in Kashmir Valley have also understood the game plan of divisive and subversive elements. The blunder committed since Nehru era should not be repeated. -JYOTI LAL CHOWDHURY, Silchar Lest we be wronged again Apropos of your column "Think it over’ (Organiser, 18-7- 2010), it seems your columnist is always beating the path of the snake which have long away slipped. He is engulfed with a fear complex of the hidden enemy. He is apprehensive of the Islam. The tragedy is that he is overlooking his own Islam (Sanatana Dharma). Both Islam and Sanatana Dharma meant the religion of the truth. The mosque and the Quran related to the Almighty as His place of worship and the Message, He revealed to the Prophet for the welfare of the mankind. The Quran invites all for: "Come for the common cause of bowing before the Almighty." There are many dialogue centres for discussing the Quran related subjects in the country. The previous history of Muslims in India has been misunderstood and has been misrepresented by the British colonialists. There were some wrong episodes when even Muslim invaders attacked the Muslim rulers, Babar Vs Ibraheem Lodhi, Nadir Shah Vs Mohammed Shah and Ahmed Shah Abdali attacked India during the reign of the Muslim ruler. So Muslims were also wronged along with the fellow countrymen. Your columnist is quoting the atrocities of the Ottomans. Did the Ottomans rule India? We too condemn the monarchy. The celebrated grandson of the prophet, Hussain, the martyr laid down his life fighting against the monarchy. There is no benefit of beating the chest on the past events and there is no rationale of demanding confession from the progenies of the wrongs done by the ancestors whom they don’t even know. -TANVIR FATIMA, Hyderabad

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