There is description of Jammu and Kashmir problem in the Vijayadashmi speech of Sarsanghachalak which appeared in Organiser issue dated Oct 8. It is indeed a very serious matter, that Jammu and Kashmir wants to retain Rohingya Muslims in the State, but the Hindu and the Sikh refugees from Pakistan, who came there in 1947, are still living in a miserable condition and are deprived citizenship rights even after 70 years. Development work is not going to improve the situation, so long as the Muslims have the right to vote. There is no use of making further experiments as teachings of Islam will never allow Muslims to maintain peace. Since Muslims had created their separate homeland in 1947, it is all the more justified to defranchise them and withdraw their citizenship rights. Rohingya Muslims and the Muslims in China were not able to create their separate homeland since those countries firmly dealt with them. But we in Bharat are still following the dangerous path of Gandhi and Nehru.
ANAND PRAKASH, Panchkula, Haryana
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Why Autonomy to J&K ?
It is incredible that the father-son duo, Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, who were ministers in the NDA and the Congress Governments at the Centre as well as Chief Ministers in Jammu & Kashmir, have asked the Centre to restore autonomy if it wants to win hearts in Jammu & Kashmir. One wonders what autonomy they are talking about? When they were in power in the State, in what were they restricted to offer good governance to the people? They had raised the issue of autonomy in 2000 but failed? People in this country will never want to go to the pre-1953 situation when the Jammu & Kashmir Government was headed by the Prime Minister and the
State by Sadr-e-Riyasat. Sheikh Abdullah was dreaming of an independent sheikhdom. The State is now democratic with guaranteed Fundamental Rights. The Supreme Court and the Election Commission, with global reputation for fair-mindedness, have jurisdiction there.
M RATAN, Via email
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Don’t add Fuel to Fire
Former Union Home Minister and senior congress leader P Chidambaram’s suggestion on a solution to the crises in Kashmir is most unfortunate. At a time when the border State is enjoying autonomy under the guise of Article 370 he should not have passed such a remark. While asking for more autonomy for the State, Chidambaram conveniently forgot that his Party during its rule at the Centre for good ten years did nothing of that sort. We all know how sensitive the State of Jammu & Kashmir is and even our hostile neighbour does not leave any stone unturned to make it more volatile. In such a tense situation, the Congress should act more responsibly rather than adding more fuel to the fire.
-BAL GOVIND, Noida
Another Massacre
New York, which bore the brunt of 9/11, has witnessed another massacre after 16 years which claimed the lives of several people. This attack which is the seventh lethal attack after 9/11 on the US soil linked to Al Qaeda or the Islamic state, is a reminder that the world is now in a more difficult phase of countering terrorism. Increasingly, terrorism is now associated with lone wolves, radicalised individuals who do not have direct organisational connections to a terrorist group but are blinded by faith, their conscience buried under the depths of indoctrination. Crowded cities are chosen with utmost care to inflict maximum casualties. With increased urbanisation and population influx, cities have become vulnerable. Imagine, if such a pattern is transported to the population rich Indian cities!
-K S JAYATHEERTHA, Bengaluru
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On the Right Track
Union Railway Ministry headed by Piyush Goyal deserves
appreciation in doing away with VVIP culture of providing saloon-facilities and domestic-help for its senior officers till now entitled for such princely privileges. Even protocol of compulsory presence of senior officers of rank of General Managers at time of arrival and departure of Chairman and other members of Railway Board, is now not required. Even flower- bouquets for greeting senior officers now stay banned. Such abolition of VVIP culture should be universally for every, ministry, department, undertaking in Central and the State governments. It is shocking that while Union Railway Ministry has now done away with system of domestic help for its senior officers, Supreme Court judges some time back gifted for themselves and their spouses, life-time domestic help at Government-expense even after retirement. Judges of higher courts should also have only such post-retirement facilities which Government servants enjoy, such as pension and medical facilities. Even political rulers must not get special post-retirement facilities. Even retired American President gets just fifty-percent of last-drawn salary as only post- retirement benefit, and not even any government-accommodation.
-SUBHASH CHANDRA AGRAWAL, Delhi
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Distorting History
It appears that the Congress Party is bent on distorting history. Volume 1 of the book Congress and the making of the Indian nation by Pranab Mukherjee (Published by the Indian National Congress in 2011) relates “how this militant nationalist trend within the Congress came to be represented by leaders like Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lajpat Rai and Aurobindo Ghose.” (p22) The same volume holds Jayaprakash Narayan to be solely responsible for the declaration of Emergency in 1975. It says, “Jayaprakash Narayan asked the people to obstruct the functioning of the Government and asked the Army, Police and the Bureaucracy to disobey the corrupt Government. In response, Indira Gandhi declared a state of internal Emergency in the country on June 1975.”( p 115)
-B B TAYAL, New Delhi
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Calling Tyrant a Patriot
How can a man like Tipu Sultan who massacred countless Hindus and demolished a large number of temples can be called a patriot? NEVER. We have been reading from childhood that Tipu was a very cruel ruler and he massacred countless Hindus. Just to get Muslim votes the Congress and the comrades are saying that Tipu was a patriot. This is treachery with the country. Similarly men like Aurangzeb can never be called a patriot. Mughals and Khiljis were foreigners who invaded India and enslaved our motherland. Similarly I was surprised to learn that Kerala’s CM Pinarayi Vijayan is one of the accused in the murder of RSS worker Ramakrishan. Such type of people should be immediately removed from the post of Chief Ministership and sent to jail. In Australia a criminal never goes unpunished however old the crime may be.
-AMAR JIT SINGH GORAYA, Australia 2680
Another Feather in NDA’s Cap
The NDA Government should be commended for weaving a success story from Khadi. I would say if Gandhian idealism birthed khadi, then certainly Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s evangelism for the fabric as a badge of pride has helped lever the Khadi economy into its second generation. What Shri Modi has done is to give Khadi a brand personality, a sustained campaign and a mass slogan. For years, couture designers have been trying to sell Khadi as a breathable, hand spun, fully organic version of Indian linen to the West and their elite patrons at home with innovative tweaks. But by taking up Khadi as a uniquely ‘Made in India’ product that would add value to the Indian growth story, the Modi Government has made Khadi viable commercially. Today Khadi sales have increased 90 per cent over last year. Mandatory use of Khadi and products by PSUs and incubating weaver clusters with design trainers have also ensured the Khadi story has finally become a part of living Indian heritage.
BIBHU PATEL, Odisha
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A significant rise in Khadi sales shows that unless the powers-that-be themselves are discerning patrons of sustainable products, the latter cannot be effectively promoted. Kudos to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on this great achievement. This is what constitutes a true tribute to Mahatma Gandhi who was a fervent champion of Khadi and who said,” Like swaraj, Khadi is our birth-right and it is our life-long duty to that only. Anyone who does not fulfil that duty is totally ignorant of what swaraj is.” On the other hand it is dismaying that some companies are misappropriating the tag of ‘khadi’. Khadi is not some ordinary cachet that can be mechanically branded on products, especially clothes. There is a lot of struggle and noble philosophy behind it. Only those companies who revere that should use the tag. Gandhiji expressly employed the simple but powerful medium of Khadi, which offers easy, sustainable livelihoods for the impoverished masses, to defeat the economic tyranny of the British. Hence a Khadi certification that strictly tests for Gandhian socio-economic and environmental ideals is very essential.
-C V KRISHNA MANOJ, Hyderabad
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