Get 72% off on an annual Print +Digital subscription of India Today Magazine

SUBSCRIBE

Mails and letters to the Editor

"A defunct state government apparatus failed to react to the raging floods. No wonder,the people in J&K are staring at darkness." K C Kumar, Bangalore.

Listen to Story

Advertisement
Mails and letters to the Editor

Flood of Emotions

Looking at our abysmal record of preparedness for natural calamities, it was not surprising that the local administration in J&K was caught unawares by the sudden inundation ("Clueless in Kashmir", September 29). Had it been slow to respond, it would still have been acceptable. However, what amounted to criminal negligence was that instead of initiating rescue operations, the administrative machinery vanished from the scene of crisis. Now, as the waters recede and courageous tales of the local brave hearts working at tandem with the army unfold, the state government has to cope with the anger of the flood-hit victims, the strong probability of the outbreak of epidemics and the Herculean task of rehabilitating the displaced. Mr Omar Abdullah, time is running out for you.
Vijai Pant, via email

advertisement

Bringing normalcy to Jammu and Kashmir is agigantic task. The army and air force personnel have done exemplary work in rescuing lakhs of stranded people. But the Omar Abdullah government has not met the expectations. It didn't probe into the alleged incident of separatists hindering the army's rescue operations in flood-hit Srinagar. Though the flood waters have receded, it is still a long way before the homeless are resettled. The state government needs to cooperate with the Centre to bring relief to the affected people.
A. Srikantaiah, Bangalore

The scale of devastation in Kashmir has exposed the ill-preparedness of the Jammu and Kashmir government. It is beyond the capacity of the state and the Central government to rehabilitate the affected. It is time to make a practical assessment of the essential requirements. The state must also do away with its false sense of prestige and seek international aid, if required. The Indian Army has done excellent work but its efforts must be supplemented by aid agencies. The existing infrastructure is in a shambles, and the Omar Abdullah government must pull out all the stops to provide medical aid to those in distress and accept help from all corners.
M.M. Gurbaxani, Bangalore

Together We Rise

Ten years ago, then environment minister Jairam Ramesh had coined the term 'Chindia', suggesting the joint rise of India and China ("Modi Begins His Long March",September 29). If the body language of PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping leaders of two of the world's fastest-growing economies was any indication,'Chindia' could become more than just a concept, and mark the beginning of a new relationship between India and China.The need for India and China to work together is critical.Besides history and culture, both countries share a 3,500 km-long border. China has offered to invest $20 billion over five years.At 70 billion dollar a year, it is already India's biggest trading partner.
K.S. Padmanabha, via email

Rude Shock for BJP
After the thumping victory of the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, it was almost unbelievable that the party could not win even half of the 32 seats it contested on in the bypolls in eight states ("Reverse Sweep", September 29). The 'Modi magic' seems to be on the wane. People may have voted against the UPA, but that is no reason to take them for granted. Of course, no two elections are the same, and the Indian voter has different parameters in mind for the general and assembly elections. Clearly, propaganda on 'love jihad' and 'hate speeches' no longer brings home the bacon. Rather, it just does the opposite.
J. Akshobhya, Mysore

advertisement

After the stupendous electoral performance of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan in the May 16 General Election, the reverse trend in the bypolls, especially in UP, shows that BJP's 'love jihad' campaign failed to fetch votes for the party. Even in Rajasthan where it was voted back to power recently, it lost three of the four seats. Most voters still count price rise, inflation and unemployment as factors to judge a government, and the politics of polarisation didn't cut ice with them. The bypolls send a strong message to the BJP that it cannot take voters for granted and win elections by playing the communal card. The government has to deliver on the time-tested promise of 'roti, kapda aur makaan' to win support.
K.R. Srinivasan, Secunderabad


False Propaganda
The nonsensical propaganda by the Hindu hardliners to fan communal tension should be dismissed outright ("What's to Hate about Love?", September 29). Some stray incidents, such as that of national shooter Tara Shahdeo allegedly being forced to convert to Islam, should not be misread as a growing trend of Muslim youths conning Hindu girls into marriage. Adults in our society have the right to choose a partner, irrespective of their caste or religion. Waging a war against love and lovers, therefore, shows the immaturity of a country that dreams of being youth-centric.
Manjula Pal, New Delhi

advertisement


Loss of Credibility

The Saradha scam has not only dented Mamata Banerjee's credibility as a CM but also given the BJP, a growing power in the state, ammunition to attack the government ("Taint over Trinamool",September 29). Didi may not have gained personally from Saradha, but unlike Manmohan Singh, who had little control over the party and the administration, she isn't a victim of the circumstances. As head of the party and the state government, she has allowed the corrupt to prosper.
J.S. Acharya, Hyderabad

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee had always projected herself as an honest leader with impeccable integrity.However, the Saradha chit fund scam has laid bare the claim.The arrests of numerous TMC leaders have led to people pointing fingers at her for allowing nefarious activities right under her nose.People had given her a huge mandate in May 2011 with the hope that she would bring West Bengal out of its slumber. In the last three years, she has not done nothing to fulfil that hope.
B. Govind, via email


advertisement