(The Big Deal, May 15); Apropos to the cover story of Organiser titled ‘The Big Deal’ by Shri Arun Srivastav. It is obvious that the Congress will claim political vedanta, but there is no smoke without fire.If the then UPA government changed several technical parameters to accommodate a certain company’s bid, despite the Indian Air Force’s reservation, then surely, there is more to it than meets the eye. Moreover, the then Defence Minister A K Antony’s suggestion of a probe in India was overlooked by the Government. These facts raise some serious questions for Congress president Sonia Gandhi in particular and the Congress in general. It is heartening that the Enforcement Directorate has expanded its probe and they should leave no stone unturned to nail the guilty.
BAL GOVIND, Noida
Pot Calling the Kettle Black
The annual report by the US Commission for International Religious Freedom which says that religious freedom in India is on a negative trajectory,is highly objectionable. It was only last year when there was a string of attacks on Indians, including Sikhs and Hindus, across the UK and the US. A number of Hindu temples were desecrated and set on fire. Gurudwaras were vandalised. Gun violence too has increased tremendously . It will be better if the US checks itself before pointing finger at others.
SARVANA RAMACHANDRAN, Chennai
A Positive Move
The United States’ refusal to fund Pakistan’s proposed acquisition of F-16 fighter aircraft marks a welcome departure from its previous policy of supporting its ally in the global fight against terrorism. Perhaps the US has got the message. The largesse it has been giving to Pakistan were being used not to combat terrorism, but against India.The US must not capitulate to the monkey bluff of Pakistan that the latter can purchase arms from those like Russia and China. However, Pakistan is unlikely to do so as it will have to spend gargantuan amount to grab the deal. Right now, it owes huge debts to various international agencies, including the International Monetary Fund.
M C SHARMA, Panki, Kanpur
| (Calling ‘ Bharat Mata’ is a Crime?, May 29); BJP’s in-charge for Tripura cell Shri Sunil Deodhar has rightly said that “ One is always allowed to take an ideological stand (however screwed it may be) but is one allowed to harass others only because they don’t stand by one’s ideology. No this is not a stand ; it is hooliganism.”Every day in Tripura the goons are openly involved in anti–national activities and the ruling party is silent over such incidents. The story titled ‘Calling ‘Bharat Mata’ is a crime?’ is one such story that gives a clear picture of the anti – Bharat attitude of the Students Federation of India ( SFI), the student wing of CPI(M), who shamed all the humanitarian values and morals by urinating on the face of a 21 year old student, just because he had put a sticker of Bharat Mata Ki Jai on his motor cycle. They did just to teach him a lesson that putting a sticker of Bharat Mata Ki Jai on a motor bike is a sin. Monsters like them are trying to demoralise and put us down. But one thing they should also keep in mind that a true patriot cannot be pinned down by such inhumane activities. |
Unattended Temple
( Much in a Name, May 8); I went through the letter in the Reader’s Forum page titled ‘Much in a Name’. With reference to this I want to say that when I went to Gurugram for the first time in 1982 on a visit to a relative the first thing I did was to visit the temple of Guru Dronacharya. It was a small, dilapidated temple on the banks of a huge empty water tank. The temple was unattended and it was dark inside. The small town had been named after the Guru who chopped off the thumb of Eklavya in under the pretext of Guru Dakshina.
A L RAWAL, Via Email
Justice Delayed is Justice Denied
Of course, the offender , Rocky Yadav son of Bihar Legislator Manorama Devi has been arrested along with his father, but like the Delhi Mercedes hit-and-run case , where the juvenile was granted bail, Rocky too will be out on bail, leaving the affected family in bereavement. Our country has the highest number of road accident casualties, but the conviction rate is abysmally low as compared to that in some western countries. Instead of allowing road accident cases to linger on in the courts for years, the judiciary should expedite verdicts keeping also in mind the affected families .
SAGAR SINGH, Delhi
Remembrance
( Many first to his credit, May 15 ); This refers to the obituary of Balraj Madhok titled, ‘Many ‘firsts’ to his credit’ by Shri R K Sinha. Through this letter I want to share some of my personal experiences with late Shri Madhok. I had the privilege of attending some of his public meetings in New Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi, in the early days of Jan Sangh. I personally met him at his house in New Rajinder Nagar on December 25th, 1988.During that meeting we discussed various issues, but one point which he told me, comes in my mind very often. He told me, that during one of his visits to Afghanistan, he had a discussion with the Head of the Department of History, Kabul University, and enquired from him the history and meaning of ‘Hindu Kush’, the name of the mountains located in north of Afghanistan.The head of the Department told that after looting, destroying , killing of Hindus on large scale in Bharat, Taimur took along with him thousands of Hindus as slaves. When they reached these mountains, Taimur’s generals told him that they do not have any thing to feed these Hindu slaves.Taimur ordered to slaughter them. Thus these mountains were named ‘Hindu Kush’ meaning slaughter of the Hindus. That Muslim head of the department had no hesitation in telling this happening, nor he had any feeling of guilt, as if it was a very normal happening, shows the attitude of the Muslims towards the Hindus.
ANAND PRAKASH, 72/Sector-8, Panchkula, Haryana: 134 109
Need more such films
(Travesty of ‘Tolerance’, May 22); Kudos to Organiser for the article titled ‘Travesty of ‘Tolerance’ ’ by Shri Vivek Agnihotri in which the writer who is also the Director of the film ‘Buddha in A Traffic Jam’ has beautifully exposed the anti-national activities of the students in prestigious institutions like JNU, IITs,National Law University, Hyderabad Central University and now at Jadavpur University and the difficulties he faced while showcasing the film ‘Buddha in a Traffic Jam’. Finally, someone made a film that exposes the sinister politics of Naxals –NGO-Academia nexus . We need more such films . It is not about who is right and who is wrong. It is about perspectives that are to be told and leave it to the audience to judge. This is real Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Thought. Hope Bharat gets back this at least in the next 5-10 years.
RAGHUSHAM SANKARGAL,Via Email
Lack of coordination
( The Burning Forest, May 15); This refers to the story titled ‘The Burning Forest’ by Shri Virendra Painuly in Organiser. Forest fires up in the hills, during summer, are not unusual. However, what is surprising is the ill-preparedness of the forest officials. Despite the availability of satellite imagery that helps to keep a track of the forest fire, a coordinated action , necessary to fight the fire, was missing. The manner in which this fire tragedy was handled by the administration is disgusting. However we must thank the National Disaster Response Force teams for carrying out the rescue operations. What is indisputable, however, is the extra dry winter, followed by an early onset of summer that left the forest floor dry and inflammable. A combination of the EI Nino phenomenon in 2015-16 and climate change can be blamed for this incident. On top of it political uncertainty that has gripped the Uttarakhand State since mid-March, seems to have contributed to the situation. J AKSHAY, Bengaluru
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