Judiciary and Article 370
There could be no rationale now, after a lapse of almost four years, to rake up the issue of the dilution of Article 370 (Page 1, “Centre’s view on Kashmir situation has no bearing on Article 370 case: SC”, July 12).
The only thing that needs to be examined by the higher judiciary is what has kept the government from holding Assembly elections all this while, if one is to go by its own averment in its affidavit, unprecedented normalcy having dawned on the State following revocation of its special status.
Ravi Mathur,
Noida, Uttar Pradesh
The Supreme Court has rightly ruled that post-notification developments do not have any bearing on the dilution of Article 370. It was a clever move by the executive to split the State of Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territories and dilute Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution in one stroke when there was no elected legislature in place. The sacred commitment regarding continuation of special provisions regarding Kashmir was blatantly flouted. Understandably, the affidavit of the Centre was evasive, inviting carping criticism from the Court. The Supreme Court being the sentinel on the qui vive cannot be a mute spectator to the subterfuge.
S.V. Venkatakrishnan,
Bengaluru
Nature’s wrath
The images of battered Himachal Pradesh and other parts of North India capture the magnitude of the devastation and havoc caused by the rain.
Extreme natural events cannot be wished away. However, their magnitude can be minimised.
The crisis is what it is now because of the ways of man and was an event waiting to happen given large-scale deforestation and the systematic destruction of lakes over a period of time. The extensive trail of destruction can be attributed to the myopic concept/view of ‘growth’ and ‘development’ where there is scant attention paid to nature.
B. Suresh Kumar,
Coimbatore
The visuals of swollen rivers and mud floods devouring everything in their paths are horrific.
Even though the intensity of nature’s fury is unpredictable, it needs to be accepted that the existing infrastructure is wholly inadequate to withstand it.
In addition to the mix, one has the issue of meddling with the fragile ecosystem.
Reconstruction after the colossal damage and destruction to property, infrastructure must be planned well.
V. Johan Dhanakumar,
Chennai
