Social justice elusive

Refer to ‘Hathras and Hindutva’ (Nous Indica); the point that ‘Hindu nationalist politics, or Hindutva is instinctively benign towards dominant groups’ is one of the old caste-and-gender fault lines in our social scheme of things, where lower caste women’s respect, modesty and even life are still at stake. Not only do proponents of Hindutva politics go soft on rapists or perpetrators of other crimes (such as cow vigilantes or anti-Romeo squads), but also the police, bureaucracy, upper-caste women and mahapanchayats shut their eyes to the suffering of lower-caste victims. Caste equations among Hindus and power opportunism are so intricately and astutely woven into our politics that the concept of social justice and gender equality for the poorest of the poor remains an elusive phenomenon.

Abhimanyu Malik, Jind

Symbol of atrocities

Refer to ‘Hathras and Hindutva’; Hathras is becoming a symbol of atrocities against the Dalits. Despite the promise of the Constitution that everyone is equal before the law, the reality is otherwise. Dalit women often find themselves at the bottom of India’s hierarchy. Can we call it an ‘encounter cremation’ aimed to destroy evidence and bury justice? Even during the rule of Mayawati, herself a Dalit, there was hardly any noticeable decline in crime against women. There is a culture of impunity, which removes any fear of accountability.

Lajwant Singh, by mail

Chinese plans

Apropos of ‘Province status for Gilgit-Baltistan helps China’; it is suspected that the decision to hold polls and annex Gilgit-Baltistan as the fifth province of Pakistan is influenced by China. The Karakoram highway linking China and Gilgit-Baltistan to the Pakistani hinterland and the port of Gwadar is being built by Chinese enterprises. More than $40 billion is invested in this project. Pakistan’s annexation of Gilgit-Baltistan and the holding of polls will give political and legal fig leaf cover for China and its belt and road projects being built in PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan. The longer-term plan of China is to connect Nepal to the highway, bypassing India again through disputed Aksai Chin. India has rightfully objected to the project, and now the polls.

HN Ramakrishna, Bengaluru

Livelihood gone

It is sad to read that the youth who were earning handsome salary before Covid have to now search for new jobs. What is more disturbing is that most of them have work experience of over 10 years. Never even in their dream would they have thought of such a situation. The condition of small businessmen and shopkeepers is worse. Many of them have been forced to shut down their business establishments and are unable to pay the salaries of their employees. The government will have to make a strategy to help them. The problem is grave in India due to the large population.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi, Sangrur

Why quote Yadav?

Refer to Subir Roy’s article on agriculture reforms (Oct 7); a portion of the writeup is devoted to what Yogendra Yadav says about these reforms. He is not an authority on this subject. He is a politician and is misguiding farmers to justify his own political existence. There has been no article on why precisely the Prime Minister had to go in for these reforms, in such haste, and why only the farmers of Punjab are so incensed. The PM calls the reforms a game-changer, while farmers call them a death warrant. Where lies the truth? Even Dr Ashok Gulati, a renowned agriculture economist, could not give answers satisfactorily in his article published earlier.

RS Rathee, Gurugram

Vehicle registration

With reference to ‘Swanky Lamborghini registered in Indora a surprise’ (Oct 9); it is the loopholes in the system that impel people of other states to get their vehicles registered at a cheaper rate. Though the law states that one can register a vehicle in Himachal Pradesh even if he is a tenant, the department of vehicle registration needs to make a physical check whether the owner is really staying in the state as a tenant. As long as such checks are not done, and, the fact that rules are silent on the ‘minimum’ stay of a person in the state to qualify to get the registration done, this will keep going on. And, of course, the state can rake in money through such transactions.

VS Jayaraman, Chennai

Support local vendors

The power of social media can be gauged from the outpouring of support for the kiosk ‘Baba ka Dhaba’, run by an elderly couple struggling to make ends meet during these unprecedented times. We need more good Samaritans to aid such livelihoods. I request everyone to support all local vendors.

Abhaysher Mann, by mail

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