Readers’ Forum

Manmohan capitulates to US demand for market access (Organiser, 30.9.2012); WallMart waits watches and then spreads its tentacles to smaller cities stifling the neighbourhood shop owners, leaving no choice but to close down. Is the government sure of the integrity of these foreign investors? Is the government prepared to assure the small shops that their business will not suffer? Selfish impersonal motives will replace personalised services and destroy a sense of camaraderie between the customer and shopkeeper. This is the way we have been brought up and should continue to do so to keep up our identity. Encourage existing industries to produce more, a swadeshi, product of high quality which will give confidence and an innovative spirit to do better and compete with other countries. Haven’t we noticed the glut of Chinese goods, of a use and throw quality in our shops? Let not upstarts upset our economy. There should be a level playing field for small entrepreneurs to produce swadeshi products, not bring in FDI and destroy the even tenor of their lives. In the long run FDI will dominate our  market destroying our swadeshi spirits.
SHANTA DYUTHIKAR, 39 15th Cross, Malleshwaram Bengaluru-3
Protests over Kudankulam totally a Church affair (Organiser, 23.9.2012); As one who has been writing about the benefits and even inevitability of nuclear energy I support the stand that the agitation against the nuclear power plant at Kudankulam should be ended.  It is also true as you have stated that the Church in Tanjavur area has taken abiding interest in the agitation.  However the next averment in your edit that the Church as a whole is against nuclear energy seems to be off the track.  I have not come across any Church document that is against nuclear power.  The fact as far as I know is that in the south-east coastal area between Kanyakumari and Tutukorin there are a large number of fishing areas which yield some valuable species of fish. The fishermen in this area have been historically Christians.  They have been fearing about the danger of the Kudankulam nuclear plant residues getting into the sea and polluting the waters and killing off the fish thereby depriving them of their livelihood.  Their fears were bolstered by what happened at Fukushima in Japan which enables many anti-nuclear NGOs to gain their support to agitate against the nuclear plant.  The Church in the Tanjore diocese got drawn into it because these traditional poor fishermen have invariably looked to the Catholic Church there as their saviour. However, the anti-nuclear agitations are not confined to Kudankulam.  Nor has the Church as such opposed nuclear power.  There are anti-nuclear agitations in several other areas—in fact in every location the Nuclear Power Corporation has selected for new plants or expansion of existing plants. Jaitapur in Maharashtra is a telling example. While nuclear power is essential in view of the greater concern over the coal fired power plants adding to global climate change, we should also not just brush aside some concerns over nuclear power.  Some sections of public are genuinely concerned; there are others who want to exploit these concerns. One reason why these concerns are endemic and persistent is because in public mind nuclear fission that is used to generate power immediately invokes the picture of the atomic bomb.  This is of course irrational but many irrationalities confuse our thinking on several issues.  This  opposition has happened at every turn of the technology screw—please recall how textile mills run by the then newly invented steam engines were burnt down by mobs of  weavers in Britain.  There is a lot of difference in sympathetically dealing with this opposition and convincing them about the benefits of modern technology on the one hand and outright dismissing these agitations as anti-national.  Gunning down the protesters, however irrational or ill motivated they be—is not an option in a democracy.
RAJENDRA PRABHU, Dwarka, New Delhi
Secularism degrades from equal treatment to appeasement (Organiser, 23.9.2012); This refers to ‘Secularism degrades from equal treatment to appeasement’ by S Gurumurthy in Organiser. He has gone deep and suggested that instead of appeasement of Muslims, Congress should have “Emphasised on common cultural  ancestry that indulges both”. What common  Hindus have with Muslims? Absolutely nothing. One or two examples would suffice. Hindus worship cow as mother, whereas Muslims consider it pious to slaughter it inside their mosques, their place of worship. Hindus build temples, but Muslims consider it their pious duty to destroy them. This had been happening  in the past, and continues to be so even today.  Dr BR Ambedkar was the only great leader who was bold enough to say the truth. He writes on page—18 of his book Pakistan or the Partition of India that “The  political  and religious antagonisms divide the Hindus and Musalmans far more deeply, than the so-called common things——.” And says that “Their past is a past of mutual destruction—a past of mutual animosities, both the political as well as in the religious field.” In fact talk of common ancestry is as dangerous and futile as appeasement of Muslims. It would befool the Hindus and make them easy victim of Muslim’s excesses. It would not be wrong to say that, that by preaching of common ancestry, RSS and Sangh Parivar is doing disservice to the Hindu cause, which is so dear to them. Hope it would be given due consideration.
ANAND PRAKASH, 72/Sector-8, Panchkula-134 109
An enjoyable narrative on Egypt revolt (Organiser, 16.9.2012); This is with reference to the review of the book Liberation Square: Inside the  Egyptian Revolution  and the Rebirth of a Nation, titled ‘An enjoyable  narrative on Egypt revolt’ in Organiser. It is  narration of a part of the famous ‘Arab Spring’ now prevailing in the ‘Arab World’ today. I may kindly be permitted to correct the headline of the review, that the change which  sprang from the ‘Tahrir Square’ was not a revolt but a revolution,  as the  reviewer himself has rightly pointed out. The same revolution was spearheaded by the Muslim Brotherhood (Estd: 1928) and whose leader Muhammed Morsi is now  president to the  Republic of Egypt (in the real sense). We (The readers of the esteemed weekly) would really enjoy reading the book under review, if we first go through the website of the above said Egyptian organisation. I salute the martyrs of Egypt who sacrificed their lives since the inception of the party till the successful revolution.
SHAKIL AHMED, 22-8-585, Lakkad Kote, Chatta Bazar, Hyderabad-500 002
Is Congress shielding rioters? Why riot convictions only in Gujarat? (Organiser, 23.9.2012); This is with reference to the front page article ‘Is Congress shielding rioters? Why riot  convictions  only in Gujarat?’ in Organiser by Dr R Balashankar. Congress is known for protecting  its  tribe whatever crime they may or might have committed and at the same  time it will victimise all its political rivals however democratic, secular, patriot, honest or sincere, they maybe. Congress want’s  Manmohan Singh and thus it has protected and saved him from resignation and jail in Coalgate scandal. So also Sheila Dikshit and Kalamadi, (CWC Scandal hit man), etc, are saved. At the  same time Congress treats Jagan S/o former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Rajshekhar Reddy as its political rival and as such  he is now in jail without any charges being proved.  After going through your article even  a lay man will be convinced that the Central government wants to tarnish the image of Modi who is being projected by the BJP and supported  by the masses as next PM. UPA has held Ms Maya Kodnani responsible for riots that broke after Godhara killing by the Muslims at Narodapatiya and nearby Narodagram and Gulberg.  This  pro-Islamic UPA has created an atmosphere wherein whatever crime the Muslims commit it is Teflon coated. Even when the Hindus are on the receiving end they are demonised. The Muslim victimhood is hailed and pampered but  Hindus are expected to behave like dumb and deaf even in the face of grave  provocations. When karsevaks were roasted to death in train bogey, eyes of the victims gorged out, body mutilated this  is identified by rulers as an accident and the perpetrators  are identified  as innocent persons. Killing of Hindus is celebrated, and any incidence of violence however  minor may be, against Muslims, is focussed as ‘blatant violation of human rights.’ The media and UPA have become so much crazy of Islam that  for them only Muslims in India have Human Rights and Hindus in India are always criminals and have no Human Rights. Thanks for exposing communal pro-Islamic character of UPA. It is time now Hindus should unite  to save Hindu India.
Smt SUHASINI PRAMOD VALSANGKAR, Dilsuknagar, Hyderabad-60
National disintegration A pre-planned frenzied  mob violence with communal  and anti-national objectives in some cities  of Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai in protest against the Assam violence, that too not against the Indians but Bangladeshi immigrants is alarming and this fanaticism is posing a severe threat to our security forces and consequently the national integration. Though, the Assam imbroglio is basically a problem of Bangladeshi immigrants that constitute a minority vote-bank for Congress which has been its core ammunition to rule over maximum years, the original Assames, the Bodos getting the deprived of their lands. Therefore, Assam problem should not be seen be through  communal angle. Moreover, the media is up to a considerable extent also responsible to aggravate the situation as the minority-infested media with pseudo-secular credentials projected the victims on communal lines resulting in the retaliations by radicals with an anti-national character  against the NE people, hence a large scale exodus thus destabilising the socio-economic fabric along with the national amalgamation. Candidly, the minoritism with greater financial and political powers is showing its hidden violent and anti-national teeths and country being taken to ransom and national disintegration virtually taking its own way. Truly speaking, the blunders and the short-sighted policies of our leaders through vote-bank politics are engulfing the  nation and after the aftermath Partition India is still living with fear of a volatile, communal complexion. Now where are those secularists, culturists and human rightists asking for Modi’s scalp and crying against army in J&K whereas the innocent people and the security forces are facing the onslaught. Conclusively, we must  stand united and thwart the nefarious designs of such elements and keep the spirit of nationalism high which is our pious mission for this great nation.
D VERMA, Lucknow
Quarrel between  the two, benefit the third BJP need not be perturbed, about  the decision taken by JD(U) and Shiv Sena for contesting upcoming Assembly polls in Gujarat despite both are constituents of NDA. They have got full right to enter the election arena. BJP alliance with former and latter is only in Bihar and Maharashtra respectively that too only for Assembly elections. Let them contest to prove their real strength in Gujarat. According to a dictum quarrel between two benefit the third (other). Since both will cut BJP’s votes to very  little extent which may cause damage to the prospect of BJP.
SRIDHAR V KULKARNI, Tilak Chowk
Cauvery issue—CRA meeting We  got shocked by the decision taken by the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) recently, under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh,in sharing of Cauvery river waters between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. There is no doubt that a sheer injustice is being meted to Karnataka,which is again not a surprise. Till yesterday, we blamed Cauvery Tribunal for its baseless and prejudiced final verdict in Cauvery river water sharing,but now we find CRA no less worse than it.Without studying the ground realities of the strategic demand/requirement of the cultivation/standing crops, drinking water needs and the present availability of water in both the states reservoirs, and making a scientific analysis,it appears CRA has failed to come to a balanced and amicable solution.When the present requirement of water in Karnataka is 155tmcft of water atleast to save the standing crops and drinking water requirement of atleast for half a dozen of adjoining districts including Bengaluru, and with water availability in KRS Reservoir is only 75tmcft of water,CRA has given directives to Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu in bulk,what else can this be but a biased decision? Tamil Nadu has claimed its prespective rights and a lion’s share in Cauvery river water on the basis that its cultivation  area is 35 lakh acres  whereas Karnataka’s  is 18 lakh acres which is almost double, and in the interest of saving the crops (three crops a year)it requires more water. We should not forget the bare true facts that Tamil Nadu diversified its cultivated area improportionately during the period of pre-Independence in British era by availing their soft corner and taking undue advantage of the hostility between British and the reign of Tipu Sultan in Mysore. Karnataka was restrained from expanding its cultivated area. Now, if UPA government is paying heed and giving importance to the excess cultivated area of Tamil Nadu which was obtained by unfair means,instead of making a balanced water sharing during this distress condition of drought period in Karnataka,then this is no less than an anti-national activity and it has no moral right to continue to rule at the Centre.
SETURAM ASPARI, Email: asparam@rediffmail.com