In his article “Vedantic attachment and Islamic idolatry”, Devdutt Pattanaik appears to be making a case to both Hindus and Muslims for giving up the claim to the Babri Masjid land. He says that for Muslims, “to accept the Supreme Court judgment is to accept the victory of idolaters”. Let me emphasise that the nature of the other party has nothing to do with it. This is a simple fight for justice where a mosque that was standing on its rightful land was wrongfully demolished and the same land has now been given to the very people who committed the act. Letting go of this right will not serve to foster peace, as Mr. Pattanaik seems to be saying, for the objective behind the mosque’s demolition was to polarise the electorate and serve the BJP’s ambitions. There is nothing pragmatic in being unfair and unjust. As for his argument that places associated with the Prophet in Mecca are being consciously monitored, I agree with him. But, there is a distinction between ‘an associated place’ and a ‘mosque’. Also, these decisions are not arbitrary but taken on a case-by-case basis in consultation with Islamic scholars.
Shazia Parwez,
Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh
The militant attack in Anantnag, which claimed two lives, was unfortunate (Front page, “Sarpanch, officer killed in Anantnag militant strike,” Nov. 27). Since the day when Article 370’s provisions were diluted, no accurate reports about the ground situation of Kashmir are available. The Union Home Minister should be very careful about giving any statement about this matter in Parliament as it may not only misguide the nation but also lead to deterioration in the Valley’s situation. Moreover, as the government is claiming that the common people of the Valley are happy with the developments, it has a responsibility to safeguard the lives of the people on the ground. The government should come up with proper reports on the present situation in Kashmir so that proper framework and policies could be made to prevent such militant attacks in the future.
Sukhpreet Singh,
Gurdaspur, Punjab
Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam has acknowledged the discontentment of Hong Kongers with her government (International page, “Lam admits people’s discontent,” Nov. 27). It is obvious that a majority of people from all walks of life in Hong Kong voted against the pro-Beijing establishment. Beijing should reflect on the outcome of the district council elections and act swiftly to end the unrest instead of playing down the results. It is imperative that Ms. Lam’s government initiates meaningful dialogue with the pro-democracy leaders and takes sincere effort to end the crisis. Otherwise, it would only jeopardise the image of the city further.
Shujaath Ahmed V.,
Vellore, Tamil Nadu
