Gagging dissent harming nation

Refer to ‘Academic freedom shrinking in a climate of fear’; Prof Mahmudabad was arrested under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita by the Haryana Police for allegedly endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country, even though his social media post merely expressed dissent. Such a drastic step is disturbing. Treating criticism of the government as a crime against the state sends out a wrong signal. The court case should never have been filed in the first place. Mahmudabad was arrested after the Haryana State Commission for Women (HSCW) complained about his FB post. In this post, he wrote that India’s strength lies in its diversity, but this was ignored by the HSCW.

EL SINGH, by mail

Differing opinion taken seriously

With reference to ‘Academic freedom shrinking in a climate of fear’; the freedom to voice an opinion at variance with the ruling party’s ideology is likely to incur the wrath of the state authorities or the army of trolls. There have been many cases recently when a dissenting opinion has been treated like a serious crime. Making matters worse, even courts sometimes give no relief, resulting in long periods of incarceration. The indifference of civil society to such blatant misuse of the law has only encouraged such elements to hunt for more victims. JNU professors as well as students and civil rights activists are the favourite targets of the right-wing trolls.

Anthony Henriques, Mumbai

India justified in helping Hasina

Apropos of ‘Hasina’s trial’; it is true that despite Sheikh Hasina’s ouster from Bangladesh, the revival of democracy has been elusive there. It is intriguing that under Prof Muhammad Yunus, democracy has been ruthlessly trampled upon and the lives of minorities, including Hindus, are under threat. Under the pressure of religious fanatics, Yunus wants India to extradite Hasina to Bangladesh. Strangely, Dhaka seems to be cosying up to Pakistan. Hasina was rescued by our troops in the 1971 war and later given refuge after her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who symbolised the democratic hopes and aspirations of a newly born free nation, was assassinated. Tragically, today’s Bangladesh has turned its back on its founding father.

Raj Bahadur Yadav, Fatehabad

New Delhi must protect ex-PM

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been slapped with grave charges by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal. It is almost certain that the interim government is dead against Hasina and is baying for her blood. She was lucky to reach India during the large-scale students’ protest. Had she been arrested 10 months back during mass protests there, she would have been eliminated. Dhaka is openly blaming Delhi for insinuating violence in Bangladesh. Hasina has always expressed gratitude to India for supporting her through thick and thin and India will protect her even now.

Subhash C Taneja, Gurugram

Implementing Act necessary

Refer to ‘School abuse shocker’; it is worrisome that a child with autism was beaten in a Noida school by a special educator. The accused has been arrested, but it is not enough to undo the harm that has been done. Mere enactment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, would be a futile exercise unless it is implemented rigorously in letter and spirit. The school management must act proactively and install CCTV cameras, conduct special training courses for teachers and carry out random checks in classrooms. The sooner it is done the better.

MD Sharma, Shimla

India kept out of G7 summit

The Canadian Government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney has not invited India for the G7 meet, even though Ukraine, Australia and South Korea have been asked to participate. In a bid to improve bilateral relations, Canada should have called India. Such a gesture would have certainly opened more trade avenues. The Canadian Government has several Indian-origin leaders, and a sizeable chunk of the students in universities there are Indian. Considering their roots in India, Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand and International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu should have used their good offices.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh