This refers to your cover story Winter of Unrest (December 30). The substantive text of CAA has no mention of religious persecution; it is mentioned separately as the objective of the legislation. More than 70 per cent of the 1.9 million who are out of the final NRC are Bengali Hindus. CAA is a ploy to win them over to the BJP and that is why the Northeast is up in arms. It seems CAA, NRC, Article 370 etc are the most pressing problems in India—unemployment, safety of women and falling industrial production can wait. This is what our government thinks and clearly, people are least bothered about these issues, as is evident from the Karnataka by-election results.
Mousumi Roy, On E-Mail
CAA ostensibly seeks to right the wrongs of Partition by granting recognition to those compelled to flee Islamic states. The move is prima facie based on humanitarian principles. The exclusion of Muslims is logical as they cannot claim grounds of religious persecution. The approach is selective because India cannot be the refugee capital of the world.
J. Akshay Acharya, Bangalore
Congratulations to Outlook for the new design; the redesigned ‘Letters’ pages look especially fetching. I want to make a couple of points about CAA that the Modi government hasn’t been able to elucidate. First, minorities who have been in India for decades are Indian citizens and should not fear the proposed NRC. Secondly, though preference will be given to Hindus and people from other specified religions, members of persecuted Muslim sects there can also apply for Indian citizenship. The Congress and other opposition parties have been fanning the protests, but have failed to realise that the fallout of all this is that a section of peace-loving Hindus will back the BJP.
Rangarajan T.S., Bangalore
Outlook has carried several opinion pieces by well-informed people which makes for good reading. But going through videos on social media, it is clear that many protestors do not even know what they are protesting for and looks as if they have been instigated by divisive forces. Destroying and burning public property can never be part of legitimate protests. It is painful to see taxpayers’ money being wasted this way.
Vasudha V. Saralaya, Mangalore
My hard-earned money is being wasted in subscribing to a propaganda weekly.
M. Sankunny Menon, Palakkad
Will the cost of settling migrants be borne by political parties? Their leaders should first provide shelter in their house at their cost instead of using taxpayers’ money (even beggars pay indirect tax). Children of politicians should also make an undertaking that they will not run away from India and take citizenship abroad.
Sunil Menon, On E-Mail
Granting nationality on the basis of religion creates a two-tier citizenship environment. Has this been tried before? Yes, they’re known as Nuremberg Laws, the slow, steady deprivation of civic rights of Jews in Germany in the 1930s, culminating in the Holocaust. I stand in solidarity, with the courage of the people—mainly students, most younger than my children—chanting Hindustan hamara hai (India belongs to us).
Amit Shah, Somerville, USA
The government failed to stop the influx of illegal immigrants in the first place and it now wishes to imprison them in detention camps and spend taxpayers’ money to house and feed them. In doing so, it is creating needless fear and rift in society, and forcing millions of Indians to search for their birth certificates. Illegal immigrants are not causing any harm—they are not rioting or imposing a financial burden. In fact, they have to work to feed themselves and the money they earn is used in India and not sent to some other country, thereby fuelling our consumption economy. There is no point in aggravating the situation, but we must prevent further illegal immigration.
Mahesh K. Rathi, On E-Mail
This refers to your article Justice League (December 16). The word encounter-specialist is ridiculous. How can there be trained experts for a stray, random incident that takes place without any planning? The right officer always seems to be present at the right time to conduct the encounter. The celebrations and euphoria that followed the gunning down of the rape suspects prove, to borrow Shakespeare’s words, “All is not well, I doubt some foul play”.
Sangeeta Kampani, New Delhi
The Hyderabad rape-murder reminded the nation of the 2012 Nirbhaya incident. The then government had assured the nation of speedy justice. Despite the fast-track court, even after seven years, justice is yet to be delivered. Sensitive cases are dragged on for decades. Can we call it ‘instant’ justice? When the Hyderabad police killed the four accused, some politicians and activists made a hue and cry in favour of the accused. Of course, most Hyderabadis came out in support of the police.
Padmini Raghavendra, Secunderabad
Despite the legal and ethical challenges, the police and the government continue to take credit for the Hyderabad encounter. The encounter evoked rapturous joy on TV channels and among the public. While nobody approves of vigilantism, the blame lies on our judiciary and police inaction in times of distress, which results in unwanted deaths of rape victims.
S.R. Gadicherla, Bangalore
Your design changes are catchy, but does it involve misspellings? In Brevis (Dec 23), Bob Willis is printed as Bob Wills.
Rajan V.B., Chennai
Why is the finance minister using Sitharaman as her surname when she is married to Parakala Prabhakar? Even the Telangana CM’s daughter and Sania Mirza still use their fathers’ name and not their husbands’. Why don’t husbands protest? Why is there no law to end this?
J. Kishore, Hyderabad
This refers to your story on AAP (Arvind Kejriwal: Can He Win Delhi Again?, December 16). I wish AAP prospers as it is a party with a difference. Its strength lies in its sincerity of purpose, and the honesty of its leaders. The cadre are genuine and devoted, definitely better than most parties in terms of selflessness and service. AAP has governed well, particularly in the education and medical sectors. Honest people want AAP to do well so the hope for alternative politics remains alive.
R.D. Singh, Ambala Cantt
I split my sides with laughter when I read Ch Sen’s letter (From the daak room, December 23). The claim that it was only after Sen’s letter that toilets were provided in railways is interesting. Perhaps, the British who loved Queen’s English took the decision for fear of being bombarded with another letter from Sen!
Kangayam R. Narasimhan, Chennai
