M A I L B A G

Befitting reply to BJP’s doublespeak

Senior BJP MP V. K. Malhotra admitted his party had a hand in the blackout of Fanaa when he said: “Aamir should apologise for his remarks on Narmada. We are ready to put an end to this row if he does so.” Aamir Khan merely repeated what the Supreme Court had said in its judgment last month. The actor was right when he said: “Do they also want an apology from the Supreme Court?”

The BJP seems to have forgotten that in a democracy, everybody has the right to air his or her opinions. Aamir’s stand is clear: “Rehabilitate the oustees and then let the construction of the dam proceed.”

Gujarat became a funny state after RSS pracharak Narendra Modi was voted back to power. If anyone even points a finger at Modi and his government, they call it “an attack on the five crore Gujaratis”. How can the screening of a film be stopped by BJP’s youth wing under the nose of the Modi government without the BJP’s consent? The party says it has nothing to do with the Fanaa row, even though its doublespeak has now been exposed. Isn’t the BJP and its government in Gujarat curbing the right to freedom of expression?  The day is not far away when the “spirit” of Gujarat spreads to the other regions.

BIDYUT KUMAR CHATTERJEE, Faridabad

Crime capital

The people wonder how the calm Bangalore has suddenly became a criminals’ paradise. The Commissioner of Police here has given the policemen-to-population ratio to be 174 policemen for every one lakh population. In contrast, Delhi has 434, Mumbai 304, Chennai 215, and Kolkata 205 policemen for every one lakh population.

B. S. GANESH, Bangalore

Save the witness Changes are needed in the Criminal Procedure Code to remove the loopholes in the Law of Evidence. The aggrieved side is deprived of justice by influencing the witness through threat or bribe. Haryana is a peculiar case of a whole state turning hostile. No one was held for lynching five Dalits in Duleena in October, 2002, as the state machinery abetted the murderers in perpetrating the crime. Families were attacked on March 16, 2002, in Loharu, Bhiwani, and their houses torched by a motivated mob in the aftermath of the Godhara episode. The Chautala government withdrew the case during trial. The public prosecutor moved an application in the court of the Additional District Judge, Bhiwani, on May 12, seeking to withdraw cases against seven activists of a Khap Panchayat facing trial for burning down a hospital-cum-residence in Badhra village. The proposed withdrawal of cases “in public interest” is being done on the directions of the Haryana Government. Protect us from protectors. INDERJIT SINGH, Secretary, CPM, Haryana

Hold your tongue

Doctors are off duty since May 14 and shouting slogans in a language that is so fail that it would make illiterate farmers seem more sophisticated. There are many ways of revolting, from wearing black badges to displaying placards. Shouting “Murdabad” should be the limit, but calling someone names does not behove an upperclass profession and students of premier institutes.

Medical education, which these professionals had at the cost of taxpayers and society, imposes certain duties on them. They could have resorted to any other mode of protest but strike. Medicine is not ordinary paper work; putting this service on hold can bleed someone to death.

Capt MOHINDER SINGH, Patiala

Hello, 197?

Till a few years ago, only BSNL telephones were available. Calling 197 then used to answer all your queries. With the advent of various other telephone companies, many of us have switched over to other telephones with the result is that 197 is no more of much help. All telephone service providers should work out something to have a common telephone enquiry at 197 to reach all telephone networks for the convenience of the general public.

Wg-Cdr C. L. SEHGAL (retd), Jalandhar

Reform reforms

The fruits of reforms are for a few big business houses and industrialists alone, but about 70 per cent or the population in villages has not drawn any benefit from this growth. The Economic Survey show that, as compared to the year 2002-03, the contribution of agriculture in national income has decreased from 10 per cent to 2 per cent and so has the agricultural production. As a result, we have to import wheat at a price much higher than we’d have paid our own farmers.

JATINDER PAL SINGH, Ludhiana