Uttarakhand takes the lead
The tabling of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the Uttarakhand Assembly is a clear sign of what the Bharatiya Janata Party plans to do after the dilution of Article 370 and the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. These three issues are what define the BJP from the other mainstream political parties. Though contentious, the Bill is sure to be implemented in the hill State, providing an impetus to the BJP’s prospects in terms of election results.
But, opposition to the UCC is bound to decrease the number of votes from the general public even if the Muslim vote share fades for the BJP.
Jai Prakash Gupta,
Ambala Cantonment, Haryana
It will be an uphill task to ensure the implementation of a uniform civil code in India. Though there seems to be political support for it, there will be hurdles. The minorities are being oppressed even as we come across narrow-minded political statements every single day.
Manas Agarwal,
New Delhi
Respect past contributions
We seem to be getting back to ‘silly season’ again with the Lok Sabha election approaching and the top leader of the land in ‘attack mode’ by misinterpreting and misquoting his favourite target — the Nehru-Gandhi family. Being the top leader, people are forced to listen to him and take note of it. If the speeches of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi did not instil confidence in the people, India would not have got to the position it was in 2014, when the leader came to power. It is not that all development in India began from 2014. The leader has to acknowledge the efforts of his predecessors who have made India a great nation. One believes respect too to be a ‘Hindutva value’.
S. Kamat,
Mysuru
Arrests and politics
Several non-BJP leaders have faced arrest under various laws and by agencies. The haste behind some arrests, amid a media spectacle, raises questions about the motive. Courts need to scrutinise such cases more closely, as many appear to be primarily designed to disgrace and harass the accused and break his/her spirit by leveraging legal processes as weapons.
Bureaucrats and law officers too must introspect on the implications for our democracy when there are clear political motives.
G.G. Menon,
Tripunithura, Kerala
Iconic eatery
The news report, on the Spirit of Mylapore Award being conferred on Rayar’s Mess in Chennai (Chennai, February 7), made me nostalgic as this was a place I used to frequent with my colleagues in the 1970s. The cafe had its army of fans who made it a point to visit it at least once a week. The wonderful taste of eatables in this humble and simple eatery was attributed to the wood fire they were cooked on.
M.R. Anand,
Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh
