Documentary on Gujarat
Maintenance of law and order is the duty of every government (Inside pages, “BBC documentary critical of Prime Minister blocked by I&B Ministry”, January 22). But if any untoward events did not occur in Gujarat, one wonders why the government has gone to the extent of blocking the documentary which amounts to a confrontation with the United Kingdom. There are still many who await justice following the riots. The Bilkis Bano case is one such vivid example. The British government cannot be faulted as it had to address the concerns of some of its citizens of India origin (Inside pages, “British probe into Gujarat riots was to address concerns of our constituents: Straw”, January 22).
Manoharan Muthuswamy,
Chennai
The Government of India has again shown that it cannot take criticism in its stride. it ought to realise that such actions highlight its level of insecurity. Documentaries that are taken down tend to be sought out more as people will try and gain access to them through other means.
Aanya Singhal,
Noida, Uttar Pradesh
The unflattering references to the top leader have come at an inopportune time for the ruling party with nine Assembly elections due this year. It is clear that the desperate steps are to ensure that his carefully nurtured image remains intact. While some leaders in the U.K. have rallied to the Indian leader’s defence, the BBC has stuck to its guns, which in simple parlance could mean that it is factual. The documentary could well dent the leader’s image abroad as and when it is available in other parts of the world.
C.V. Aravind,
Bengaluru
The BBC is one of the most reliable and fiercely independent news providers . Despite 10 Downing Street questioning the BBC’s patriotism during the Falklands war, the news provider stood its ground. Also, Opposition leaders in India cannot be faulted for accusing the government of imposing censorship. It is pertinent to ask this question: would the government of the day block a BBC documentary or any other programme that portrayed an Indian Opposition leader or party in a bad light?
C.G. Kuriakose,
Kothamangalam, Kerala
The documentary unnecessarily seeks to create ripples in Indian politics in what is a closed chapter. It is appalling that there are some agencies wanting to keep the Godhra incident alive.
K.V. Seetharamaiah,
Bengaluru
Population and policy
India should not adopt any knee-jerk policies with India set to surpass China as the most populous nation in 2023 (‘FAQ’ page, “Why is China’s population shrinking?” January 22). Women in India are having fewer children than their mothers had and the notion that India should adopt something like China’s former ‘one- child policy’ is misguided and will have disastrous consequences. It could lead to a range of social problems.
The trend in India is towards smaller families and no drastic intervention from the state is required.
Dr. Thomas Palocaren,
Vellore, Tamil Nadu
