Apropos The Law Catches Up (June 5), it is only because of judicial activism that sensitive cases involving VVIPs are now being investigated by the CBI. But they continue to be pursued at a snail’s pace to protect them. This becomes clear if one examines the number of cases that have actually been investigated without any action taken to bring the culprits to book except to file FIRs against them. Had these VVIPs been prosecuted, found guilty and punished, they would not have been in politics. Now they are safe until pronounced guilty by law. In such a situation, the courts should examine the evidence before them to decide if there is a prima facie case against the VVIPs and disqualify them from entering politics. Finally, the CBI’s functioning must be made autonomous with no political interference and if that cannot be done, the agency should be disbanded instead of being used selectively by the Centre.
R.N. Vaswani, Bombay
Apropos Vote Marshalled (June 5), your correspondent who covered the parliamentary polls in Anantnag and Baramulla constituencies seems to have been carried away by the propaganda unleashed by the motivated groups. In spite of his fertile imagination, the Army has yet to chop off the fingers of any of the seven lakh voters who did not par ticipate in the polls. Neither have they forced anyone "into troughs of cold water through the night".
Your correspondent’s story is built around the assertion that "a crowd of disgruntled voters was present at almost very polling booth". He also claims that those who voted did so for fear of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR). If the voters were intimidated, how did they, only hours later, find the courage to voice their resentment against the Army in the presence of its personnel? Most significant of all is the fact that Baramulla constituency voters, whom your correspon- dent claims were coerced by the Indian Army, and ‘renegade’ militants who he claims are its proxies, have overwhelmingly chosen the Congress(I) candidate, Mr Ghulam Rasool Kar.
In Anantnag constituency, in the district of Pulwama, your correspondent found that surrendered militant Papa Kishtwari had, with the help of the RR "ensured voters’ votes". Yet, three of the district’s six assembly segments had low turnout in the constituency.
What some "terrified voters" perhaps told your correspondent must be placed in the context of their very real fear of terrorists. The story makes no effort to address this issue. Though the list of such terrorist intimidation is too long to recount here, villagers at Batingu, Gundbara, Bomai, Tizar, Nathepur and Filu in Baramulla district, one of the areas in which your correspondent travelled widely, would have told him about the use of posters, visits by armed terrorists, and threats of execution directed at voters during the first half of May. In conclusion, your correspondent may also wish to consider the fact that not a single person died or sustained severe injury in the seven "major incidents" of violence he has highlighted on page 13. The polls were peaceful and free and fair. Outlook needs to take a fresh look at the situation in the state and bring out the true facts.
I. Ramamohan Rao, Information Advisor, Government of J&K
Ajith Pillai replies: True, no fingers of non-voters were chopped off but such was the action threatened. Of course, depending on the way one looks at it, this could be described as ‘gentle persuasion’. And people who stood outside polling booths and complained to the media were perhaps emboldened because the RR, which had knocked on their doors in the morning, was kept away from the polling stations. It was the paramilitary force which was present at the booths. Many journalists from other leading publications from India also observed that there was coercion. And how does Mr Rao explain that almost every politician in the Valley, including Ghulam Rasool Kar, who won from Baramulla, have complained about the terror tactics employed by the surrendered militants during the elections? That they had an "important role" to play in the conduct of the elections and ‘encouraging’ people to vote has been acknowledged by Ashok Kumar, chief secretary, J&K, and his comments have been reported in the press. The holding of elections has been a first step in ushering in the political process in the state. The Army and the paramilitary deserves kudos for keeping the militants at bay and not allowing them to interfere with the election process. But the point to be pondered is whether it was right to use counter-insurgency groups and the RR to threaten voters to vote. That is not our understanding of free and fair elections.
Your article Circle of Woes (May 29) reminds one of the dark days of Emergency, when at the dictates of the then uncrowned king Sanjay Gandhi, MCD commissioner B.R. Tamta initiated a drive for beautification and uniformity, laying down specific guidelines for shopowners in all markets of the capital with respect to signboards which they had to obey perforce. The same tactic is now being adopted by NDMC chairman Baleshwar Rai. Commando type operations and tearing down glow signs at unearthly hours show the dictatorial tendencies of our bureaucrats. The fate of the Emergency dictators is known to everyone. The trouble is that Rai and his like have refused to learn from mistakes in the past.
A.J. Ajwani, New Delhi
This refers to the article Setback For Renegades (June 12). Let me congratulate you for publishing actual facts on the Kashmir elections without any fear or favour. I think yours is the only magazine which has given the true picture of how the high percentage of polling was achieved. It’s true that the authorities have successfully conducted the elections, but their success is empty, since the people have voted not out of willingness but out of fear. Now that the process of Lok Sabha elections has been completed, the Government can give the people of Kashmir a reasonable package of concessions in return for making the assembly elections successful.
In this connection, the then prime minister Narasimha Rao has to be congratulated for willing to discuss any proposal ‘short of azadi’. Rao’s acceptance of the proposal to change the designation of governor and chief minister to Sadar-e-Riyasat and Wazir-i-Azam respectively, is also a welcome step towards solving the Kashmir problem. The BJP has been raising its voiceagainst offering such designations by making some unworthy excuses. In order to counter their opposition one has to remind them of what Shakespeare said: "What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." So what difference will calling the Governor Sadar-e-Riyasat make? None. A radical approach to the assembly elections has to be adopted lest Pakistan exploits the situation. One way to indicate this approach is to open a dialogue with Hurriyat leaders who are against Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan. Holding elections without understanding the realities would be a farce.
A. Shafiqur Rahman, Madras
Your article No Room at the Top (May 29) was detailed and interesting. It’s time we started the debate on what role TNCs are playing in our economy. One thing should be made clear: either you have an American CEO at the top from the start or you let Indian managers take charge. Replacing capable people like Gurcharan Das is a shame.
However liberal-minded one may choose to become, the ‘unbridled’ entry of TNCs into India in our currently corroded value-system will naturally lead to what the arrival of the East India Company had led to in the 17th century. Then we became subservient to the British Raj, now we might have to bow to the dictates of the Global Raj.
Lalema Arya Dang, New Delhi
We must admire and congratulate Mamata Banerjee (Congress) and G.G. Swell (Independent) for their courage in opposing the short-lived and ill-fated BJP government’s proposed ban on cow slaughter as mentioned in the President’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament on May 24.
Can a few Brahmins in the BJP, RSS and the VHP determine the eating habits of all Indians including Christians, Muslims, the tribals, adivasis and lower castes? Are we going to eat grass just to please them? What is George Fernandes doing in the company of the communist BJP in the Lok Sabha, against the interests of fellow Christians, most of whom are beef-eaters?
Christians, Muslims, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs and adivasis are not second-class citizens to have their eating and dressing habits dictated by a few Brahmins. The BJP and the Sangh parivar must stop their witch-hunt against these sections of Indian society and respect our rights.
About 35 to 40 per cent of Indians including Christians eat beef. G.G. Swell has rightly pointed out that beef is the cheapest source of protein for people in the North-eastern states. It is also the case in other places in India.
Raymond M. Silveira, Pune
I strongly disagree with the articles Grave Danger Ahead and Requiem For Rao (May 22) written by Vinod Mehta and Kuldip Nayar, respectively. Their obsessions seem to have clouded their vision as well as their views. Your readers can’t be expected to swallow everything you dole out, since they are all endowed with that commodity called commonsense, rare though it is.
Kastoori, Bombay
This refers to your cover story Uneasy Rider (June 12). Apart from the internal contradictions of the Janata Dal, there is also a long-standing dispute on the sharing of Cauvery waters with Tamil Nadu. The TMC had a genuine doubt on the feasibility of joining a government supported by the untrustworthy Congress led by P.V. Narasimha Rao.
A lot of political skill is required to overcome the internal and external problems. It will not be a cakewalk for Prime Minister Gowda in his efforts to preserve India’s social fabric amid polemics.
M.K. Huq,
Being a regular reader of Outlook I found something lacking in the last few issues. Browsing through earlier issues I discovered that the readers were promised a fortnightly guide to the chaotic marketplace of the ’90’s in the November 1 issue. But it was missing in the subsequent issues. Has Outlook lost its fortnightly sense of humour or is it running short of stories?
We expect you to reintroduce this column and put the smile back on your readers’ faces.
Sibu B. Vaz, Bangalore
