Humanity begins at home
I agree with the writer ("This Indian child deserves your attention as much as the Syrian boy"). We express outrage at the picture of the Syrian boy more because we feel it's the right thing to do, not because we truly feel for the child and the human tragedy involved. If that were the case we should have been a nation of mourners, considering the abyss of human tragedy in which we reside. Pointing fingers at others is always a comforting experience. – Sanjoy Sankar Guha
***
The headline of the article was quite disturbing. I found the comparison between the Syrian child and the numerous malnourished and deprived children in India unfair and inappropriate.
We can’t take away anything from the plight of the Syrian boy's family and the challenges of Syrians in general simply because he wore “dark shorts, red shirt and shoes”. Agreed, the countless underprivileged children back home deserve attention. But weighing the two situations against each other only demonstrates oblivion.
One is a case of war and delves into politics while the other is related to poverty and economics. Both are pressing challenges of our society and deserve equal attention. We're "one world" after all. I'm not sure why the writer tries to present the scenario as "elitist" or "an influence of western culture". That is not the case.
As citizens of the world, it’s important to be aware of everything that surrounds us and give it all the attention it deserves. We’re not “numb” to the tragedies around us and if we are, then we need to be made more aware in appropriate ways. Pitting one issue against the other will only dilute the gravity of the situation. – Divya Prabhakar
***
This article reflects an immature understanding of the world around us. It is as insensitive to the cause of millions of refugees as it is to the cause of millions of poverty-stricken people in our country and around the world.
Calling for Western hegemony in these matters is a bit too much. The need of the hour is not to choose one cause over the other but to fight concurrent battles together. – Iram Khan
***
The writer forgets that the Syrian boy's death is owing to the interference by the West and others in the country's affairs. In India, the chronic malnourishment and misery of children is because of the incompetence and corruption of the Indian government. No foreigners are involved. – Eddie Ray
***
This is a nice article. My heart broke when I saw the photo of the Syrian boy. But I quickly realised that we have such children here too. A truly advanced country should be evaluated not on GDP alone, but on how it takes care of its poorest people. – Suganya Naveen
Reservation road
I admit the startling line for everyone was not the same 60 years ago and that the amount of suffering faced in parts of India was unimaginable ("The many reasons why Hardik Patel and other haters of reservations are wrong"). I don't support Hardik Patel or approve of violence as a strategy to get these demands fulfilled.
People study long hours every year, rack their brains and give their all just to clear those competitive exams, which are probably the toughest of their kind at that level. And after all that hard work, many fail to clear the
cut-off by a few marks. But when the general category cut-off increases, the reservation cut-off remains minimal. Such candidates eventually become doctors and engineers.
Just imagine how many good doctors this country is missing just because of this idea of bringing the “underprivileged” to the forefront. And yes, the common man thinks twice before going to any random doctor, in case they graduated from the reserved category.
I don’t know what is your definition of quotas but people around me enjoying its advantages are not underprivileged. If the need is to uplift the underprivileged and neglected, go around and see for real who they are. At the end of the day, it's votes that matter. – Poushali Poddar
***
Reservations were a valid approach in the first two or three decades after independence. But there can be no justification second and/or third generation reservation. Firstly, it discriminates within the reservation principle against those entitled to it on caste grounds and economic criteria. It also discriminates against those outside the caste criteria but economically disadvantaged.
Professor Agarwal's model needs moderation too. Why should a 30-mark advantage or 30% reservation to accrue to a daughter of a civil servant who is neither economically deprived nor a victim of caste-based discrimination? Her ancestors were discriminated against but her parents were "compensated" by the Constitution.
Let the benefits go to other and create a ripple of empowerment for both reserved and unreserved categories of women. – Subhash Agarwal
***
The reason why chronic inequality persists in our society despite reservations and several inclusive measures is because of a handful of upper caste politicians seeking to ensure that their vote bank remains intact.
A lackadaisical administration which likes to drag its feet also ensures that certain segments of the population will forever remain at the bottom. Setting up bogus committees which write reports as a dictation lesson from their masters further aggravates the resentment of the common man towards the establishment.
It is not surprising that sycophancy is a well-practiced art in the corridors of power as only a few were meant to "survive" in this country. Earlier it was VP Singh versus Rajiv Gandhi. Later, everybody started to dole out reservations.
They didn't bother about the collateral damage done to the fabric of Indian society or to the deserving candidates. Pareto's Elites theory very much plays a hand here. To sustain a minuscule, infinitesimal upper
crust of society, so many were fed to the guillotine. – Anoop Hosmath
***
As well considered and logical as you feel your views may be, the fact is that you, like every individual in this country who supports reservation, are as condescending as you are misguided.
No free society in the world has functioned and grown and developed as anything but a meritocracy. The idea of reserving 50% of seats for people in colleges, jobs and promotions implies that the people in question don't deserve to be in those colleges, get those jobs or promotions.
One can't go back and justify affirmative action today in response to thousands of years of oppression. Because in a democracy where freedom and equality are valued above all else, the idea of a democracy is diluted when you go ahead and give in to demands for reservation. If affirmative action must exist, it should be in the
realm of creating more schools, colleges and punishing any form of discrimination ruthlessly.
You talk of the large sections of India where discrimination still runs rampant. It is a generational phenomenon and such discrimination would ordinarily die out on its own. When bigots of the previous generation kick the bucket, their brand of discrimination will also disappear. – Karan Philip
Threat to secular democracy
India is a secular and democratic country ("RSS may not hold remote control to Modi government ‒ but it definitely holds the jammer"). Every government that takes charge has to take an oath to uphold the Constitution of India. It's bizarre and shocking that this government presented itself before the RSS leadership, shared government policies and sought clearance from them. This is illegal and unconstitutional as the RSS does not believe in a democratic and secular India.
MS Golwalkar demanded that India be governed by “one flag, one leader and one ideology of Hindutva in each and every corner of this great land.”
RSS denigrated the national flag. "The people who have come to power by the kick of fate may give in our hands the tricolour, but it will never be respected and owned by Hindus," Golwalkar said at Nagpur in 1940. On the eve of independence, RSS weekly Organiser bore this remark: The word three is in itself an evil, and a flag having three colours will certainly produce a very bad psychological effect and is injurious to a country."
The RSS-Modi government conclave means that India's days as a secular democracy are numbered. – Shamsul Islam
Vedic origins
There is a political reason for wildly asserting that Aryans are indigenous. If they came from outside, then the invasion on India started right from those days ("Rightwing historians are obsessed with Rigveda because of their anti-Muslim stance: DN Jha"). Why then should one blame the other aggressors including the Muslim aggressors and the European ones? Lambasting the biggest minority in the country will become somewhat pointless if the Aryans were aliens to India.
The rightwing historians are thus obliged to 'establish' that Rigveda is older than Harappan culture and that Harappan culture was also the making of the Aryans.
There is another hurdle that rightwing historians will not be able to cross – the question of language. How did Vedic Sanskrit remain unchanged for 7,000 years if the Rigveda dates back to 8,000 B.C? And how does one explain the evolution of other social formations over a period of 7,000 years?
Th Vedas do not lose their glory if they are not older than 1500 B.C. Rightwing historians can sleep well even if the Rigveda is only 3,500 years old, because it remains the oldest recorded written literature of mankind. – G Ramakrishna
Struggling doctors
I pity these doctors ("Why taking to the streets is not paying off for India's junior doctors"). They have spent so many years on their education and now they make a pittance. Indians are treated like dirt in their own country but when they move abroad, their skills are respected and they outshine the locals. This is why no NRI wants to come back to India. In the corrupt Indian system, the innocent and the poor are harassed. – Pramod
Promoting vegetarianism
When the Constitution of India regards compassion for other living creatures and protection of the environment as one of our fundamental duties, it is imperative for the state to promote vegetarianism ("Why do we insist on calling India a vegetarian country when two-thirds of us eat meat?").
The benefits are innumberable and go as far as ameliorating global warming. Vegeterianism is a positive lifestyle choice and must not be shunned because of caste-based prejudices.
The popular sociological phenomenon of Sankritisation gave rise to much-needed social mobility in India. But when it comes to culinary habits, it seems Westernisation has a major say. It is not only up to organisations such as PETA, but all of us are responsible for protecting the less fortunate. – Anoop Hosmath
Soft target?
I am pained at reading this article ("Full text: Leading US academics urge Silicon Valley to be cautious in dealing with Modi government"). Since 2002, several academics from ideological backgrounds have targeted Narendra Modi. The Supreme Court exonerated him in connection with the Gujarat riots and related charges. The people with India voted him to power with a thumping majority in 2014. Even so, biased political opponents do not relent and continue to sing the same tune. Unfortunately, this story falls under that category.
Indian history will essentially have a saffron hue. All these academics maintain silence when Adivasis are forcibly converted or when extremists attack civilians. Why are they silent spectators to American atrocities or Chinese suppression? Modi is a soft target as Indians don't rebut or retaliate. – Mahendra Pipalia
Quality teachers
I can see why you have criticised the Prime Minister for not including teachers ("Modi’s Teachers’ Day celebration was missing one crucial participant: Teachers"). But don't you see that the problem with the profession has more to do with the economy rather than government policy? When India's economy becomes robust enough to create demand for better educated professionals, the academia will respond by attracting good faculty.
IIT students who don't get jobs immediately join coaching institutes as faculty. These people are paid highly enough and do a competent job. But in most colleges, faculty join only with the intention of staying on and getting automatic promotions.
Their skill and dynamism are hardly questioned because the college administration doesn't believe that there is a demand for exceptionally good teachers. When expectations are low, delivery also will be low. But to raise expectations you need demand. As there is no demand, there is no expectation either. – Kurian CK
The OROP effect
The Congress government wisely put the OROP scheme on the back burner, but sadly the NDA could not do the same ("The real cost of OROP: It has politicised the Indian armed forces"). Having committed themselves on numerous occasions to settling the issue, they have opened a can of worms. Only time will tell the long term repercussions. We have not heard the last of how OROP will affect the moral and social fabric of the country. India is in for "interesting" times in the years to come. – Richard Dartnell
***
Great to read your thoughts. You have hit the nail on the head. Don't you think that this discontent and disillusionment of both serving and retired soldiers will enable India's enemies to easily penetrate the weakened fabric of internal security? – Hari
***
The writer has very aptly described the unfortunate situation that shook the people who have made sacrifices to ensure the sovreignty of our country. Feelings came out in words that were well chosen. Hope the right gentry read the article and feel its essence. – Gul
Footballing frustrations
I think Stephen Constantine is frustrated because he likes India and is trying to help Indian football ("Football coach Stephen Constantine is frustrated and it isn't just due to India’s performances"). He may be frustrated by the lack of effort by the All India Football Federation. Many of its members do not have a background in footbal and some of them haven't even played the sport.
If the I-League teams are against the Indian Super League, then they should provide a strong foundation for Indian football. Indians watch the English Premier League and La Liga for quality football. We wish to see quality football and footballers from our country.
A major advantage of the ISL is the interaction between Indian and international players. The ISL attracted unprecedented viewership and the led to the creation of football development programmes, which should be further encouraged. ISL should be continued in the years to come. – Adhil Abubacker
Empower the farmer
The piece was informative and the writer has covered some major reasons for the rise in onion prices ("Two charts show why onion prices are rising despite increased production"). That said, the writer should have nailed down the major reason: the neta-babu-trader nexus. Customers have the option of reducing or delaying their purchase. What really troubles me is that no one speaks for the original producer – the farmer in Rajasthan.
Sikar district is a major onion producer. Farmers in the district often throw away their produce or get increasingly burdened by debt owing to poor prices for their produce.
As farmers do not have a strong representation in the price determination process, which is in the hands of traders with full support from bureaucrats and cabinet ministers, they suffer and so does the consumer.
Agriculture is the only sector in India where the producer does not have any say in the price of his product. The media should highlight the plight of agricultural producers and pressurise the powers that be to do what they are supposed to for the overall benefit of our society in general and the producer and consumer in particular. – Sandeep
Bonded to brick-kilns
The article confirms the existence of bonded labour, the failure to implement MGNREGA and the reasons for the same ("Why lakhs of people leave Odisha to work in distant, unsafe brick-kilns"). These problems can be overcome if we make a concerted effort. The bonded labour law is too weak and remains largely unimplemeted, apart from a few cases where bonded labourers got "lucky".
The migrant workers act draws attention away from the real problems on the ground. Brick kiln workers can be supported by effective and beneficial microfinance models, skill training, organisation building among workers, technological support to increase productivity, financial inclusion and inter-operability of social protection schemes across states. Even Department For International Development (DFID) and United Nations agency programmes steer away from strong measures and significant support for livelihoods.
The article analyses the ground realities very well. Are any donors, Indian and international foundations, government officers and UN agencies willing to do what is needed on a long-term basis to strengthen the voices and hands of these brick kiln workers? – Smita Premchander
***
This is because Jawaharlal Nehru messed up the economy to such an extent that India still uses manual labour to produce bricks. – Sri Kotti
Past and present
This magical, lyrical piece on the Kalburgi murder and the great literary and artistic tradition of Dharwad was as gut-wrenching as it was uplifting ("The Dharwad where Kalburgi was killed isn’t the Dharwad of my childhood"). The genesis of the death of ideas, of our traditions, of our collective conscience and our human spirit can be attributed to this galloping, murderously insane and take-no-prisoners monster called market forces.
We are willing or unwilling supplicants to this newfound goddess in our midst and we have lost all sense of values, family life, literary and idealistic pursuits, love and respect for our environment, all to appease this fake goddess.
The younger generation can only envy Maria Aurora Couto and her generation for living in such enlightened times. For us, the bells toll as we see our civilisations collapse around us while we foolishly cling to our bank balances, share certificates and turn to religious hardliners for solace and comfort. – Dr Oscar Rebello
Interpreting history
Your article completely disagrees with what history tells us about Aurangzeb and instead you present it in a completely new manner ("Was Aurangzeb the most evil ruler India has ever had?"). If Aurangzeb was so good then why is he not as fondly remembered as Akbar? The NCERT book dedicates a complete chapter to Akbar but only two pages to Aurangzeb.
You are absolutely correct in saying that at that time, the concept of nationality was non-existent. Kingdoms fought each other for more area and influence. A successful empire had huge armies and its soldiers were very well paid. But Shivaji's army consisted of blacksmiths and farmers. Why did they support him in the battle against Aurangzeb if the latter was so good?
History is written by winners. You presented Aurangzeb as a winner. But the victims should also be asked about the Mughal king. In future, Narendra Modi may be described as a godly figure but some will regard him as the devil. At that time, people will be confused about the facts, which till date are not clear. – Piyush Deshpande
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letters@scroll.in.
I agree with the writer ("This Indian child deserves your attention as much as the Syrian boy"). We express outrage at the picture of the Syrian boy more because we feel it's the right thing to do, not because we truly feel for the child and the human tragedy involved. If that were the case we should have been a nation of mourners, considering the abyss of human tragedy in which we reside. Pointing fingers at others is always a comforting experience. – Sanjoy Sankar Guha
***
The headline of the article was quite disturbing. I found the comparison between the Syrian child and the numerous malnourished and deprived children in India unfair and inappropriate.
We can’t take away anything from the plight of the Syrian boy's family and the challenges of Syrians in general simply because he wore “dark shorts, red shirt and shoes”. Agreed, the countless underprivileged children back home deserve attention. But weighing the two situations against each other only demonstrates oblivion.
One is a case of war and delves into politics while the other is related to poverty and economics. Both are pressing challenges of our society and deserve equal attention. We're "one world" after all. I'm not sure why the writer tries to present the scenario as "elitist" or "an influence of western culture". That is not the case.
As citizens of the world, it’s important to be aware of everything that surrounds us and give it all the attention it deserves. We’re not “numb” to the tragedies around us and if we are, then we need to be made more aware in appropriate ways. Pitting one issue against the other will only dilute the gravity of the situation. – Divya Prabhakar
***
This article reflects an immature understanding of the world around us. It is as insensitive to the cause of millions of refugees as it is to the cause of millions of poverty-stricken people in our country and around the world.
Calling for Western hegemony in these matters is a bit too much. The need of the hour is not to choose one cause over the other but to fight concurrent battles together. – Iram Khan
***
The writer forgets that the Syrian boy's death is owing to the interference by the West and others in the country's affairs. In India, the chronic malnourishment and misery of children is because of the incompetence and corruption of the Indian government. No foreigners are involved. – Eddie Ray
***
This is a nice article. My heart broke when I saw the photo of the Syrian boy. But I quickly realised that we have such children here too. A truly advanced country should be evaluated not on GDP alone, but on how it takes care of its poorest people. – Suganya Naveen
Reservation road
I admit the startling line for everyone was not the same 60 years ago and that the amount of suffering faced in parts of India was unimaginable ("The many reasons why Hardik Patel and other haters of reservations are wrong"). I don't support Hardik Patel or approve of violence as a strategy to get these demands fulfilled.
People study long hours every year, rack their brains and give their all just to clear those competitive exams, which are probably the toughest of their kind at that level. And after all that hard work, many fail to clear the
cut-off by a few marks. But when the general category cut-off increases, the reservation cut-off remains minimal. Such candidates eventually become doctors and engineers.
Just imagine how many good doctors this country is missing just because of this idea of bringing the “underprivileged” to the forefront. And yes, the common man thinks twice before going to any random doctor, in case they graduated from the reserved category.
I don’t know what is your definition of quotas but people around me enjoying its advantages are not underprivileged. If the need is to uplift the underprivileged and neglected, go around and see for real who they are. At the end of the day, it's votes that matter. – Poushali Poddar
***
Reservations were a valid approach in the first two or three decades after independence. But there can be no justification second and/or third generation reservation. Firstly, it discriminates within the reservation principle against those entitled to it on caste grounds and economic criteria. It also discriminates against those outside the caste criteria but economically disadvantaged.
Professor Agarwal's model needs moderation too. Why should a 30-mark advantage or 30% reservation to accrue to a daughter of a civil servant who is neither economically deprived nor a victim of caste-based discrimination? Her ancestors were discriminated against but her parents were "compensated" by the Constitution.
Let the benefits go to other and create a ripple of empowerment for both reserved and unreserved categories of women. – Subhash Agarwal
***
The reason why chronic inequality persists in our society despite reservations and several inclusive measures is because of a handful of upper caste politicians seeking to ensure that their vote bank remains intact.
A lackadaisical administration which likes to drag its feet also ensures that certain segments of the population will forever remain at the bottom. Setting up bogus committees which write reports as a dictation lesson from their masters further aggravates the resentment of the common man towards the establishment.
It is not surprising that sycophancy is a well-practiced art in the corridors of power as only a few were meant to "survive" in this country. Earlier it was VP Singh versus Rajiv Gandhi. Later, everybody started to dole out reservations.
They didn't bother about the collateral damage done to the fabric of Indian society or to the deserving candidates. Pareto's Elites theory very much plays a hand here. To sustain a minuscule, infinitesimal upper
crust of society, so many were fed to the guillotine. – Anoop Hosmath
***
As well considered and logical as you feel your views may be, the fact is that you, like every individual in this country who supports reservation, are as condescending as you are misguided.
No free society in the world has functioned and grown and developed as anything but a meritocracy. The idea of reserving 50% of seats for people in colleges, jobs and promotions implies that the people in question don't deserve to be in those colleges, get those jobs or promotions.
One can't go back and justify affirmative action today in response to thousands of years of oppression. Because in a democracy where freedom and equality are valued above all else, the idea of a democracy is diluted when you go ahead and give in to demands for reservation. If affirmative action must exist, it should be in the
realm of creating more schools, colleges and punishing any form of discrimination ruthlessly.
You talk of the large sections of India where discrimination still runs rampant. It is a generational phenomenon and such discrimination would ordinarily die out on its own. When bigots of the previous generation kick the bucket, their brand of discrimination will also disappear. – Karan Philip
Threat to secular democracy
India is a secular and democratic country ("RSS may not hold remote control to Modi government ‒ but it definitely holds the jammer"). Every government that takes charge has to take an oath to uphold the Constitution of India. It's bizarre and shocking that this government presented itself before the RSS leadership, shared government policies and sought clearance from them. This is illegal and unconstitutional as the RSS does not believe in a democratic and secular India.
MS Golwalkar demanded that India be governed by “one flag, one leader and one ideology of Hindutva in each and every corner of this great land.”
RSS denigrated the national flag. "The people who have come to power by the kick of fate may give in our hands the tricolour, but it will never be respected and owned by Hindus," Golwalkar said at Nagpur in 1940. On the eve of independence, RSS weekly Organiser bore this remark: The word three is in itself an evil, and a flag having three colours will certainly produce a very bad psychological effect and is injurious to a country."
The RSS-Modi government conclave means that India's days as a secular democracy are numbered. – Shamsul Islam
Vedic origins
There is a political reason for wildly asserting that Aryans are indigenous. If they came from outside, then the invasion on India started right from those days ("Rightwing historians are obsessed with Rigveda because of their anti-Muslim stance: DN Jha"). Why then should one blame the other aggressors including the Muslim aggressors and the European ones? Lambasting the biggest minority in the country will become somewhat pointless if the Aryans were aliens to India.
The rightwing historians are thus obliged to 'establish' that Rigveda is older than Harappan culture and that Harappan culture was also the making of the Aryans.
There is another hurdle that rightwing historians will not be able to cross – the question of language. How did Vedic Sanskrit remain unchanged for 7,000 years if the Rigveda dates back to 8,000 B.C? And how does one explain the evolution of other social formations over a period of 7,000 years?
Th Vedas do not lose their glory if they are not older than 1500 B.C. Rightwing historians can sleep well even if the Rigveda is only 3,500 years old, because it remains the oldest recorded written literature of mankind. – G Ramakrishna
Struggling doctors
I pity these doctors ("Why taking to the streets is not paying off for India's junior doctors"). They have spent so many years on their education and now they make a pittance. Indians are treated like dirt in their own country but when they move abroad, their skills are respected and they outshine the locals. This is why no NRI wants to come back to India. In the corrupt Indian system, the innocent and the poor are harassed. – Pramod
Promoting vegetarianism
When the Constitution of India regards compassion for other living creatures and protection of the environment as one of our fundamental duties, it is imperative for the state to promote vegetarianism ("Why do we insist on calling India a vegetarian country when two-thirds of us eat meat?").
The benefits are innumberable and go as far as ameliorating global warming. Vegeterianism is a positive lifestyle choice and must not be shunned because of caste-based prejudices.
The popular sociological phenomenon of Sankritisation gave rise to much-needed social mobility in India. But when it comes to culinary habits, it seems Westernisation has a major say. It is not only up to organisations such as PETA, but all of us are responsible for protecting the less fortunate. – Anoop Hosmath
Soft target?
I am pained at reading this article ("Full text: Leading US academics urge Silicon Valley to be cautious in dealing with Modi government"). Since 2002, several academics from ideological backgrounds have targeted Narendra Modi. The Supreme Court exonerated him in connection with the Gujarat riots and related charges. The people with India voted him to power with a thumping majority in 2014. Even so, biased political opponents do not relent and continue to sing the same tune. Unfortunately, this story falls under that category.
Indian history will essentially have a saffron hue. All these academics maintain silence when Adivasis are forcibly converted or when extremists attack civilians. Why are they silent spectators to American atrocities or Chinese suppression? Modi is a soft target as Indians don't rebut or retaliate. – Mahendra Pipalia
Quality teachers
I can see why you have criticised the Prime Minister for not including teachers ("Modi’s Teachers’ Day celebration was missing one crucial participant: Teachers"). But don't you see that the problem with the profession has more to do with the economy rather than government policy? When India's economy becomes robust enough to create demand for better educated professionals, the academia will respond by attracting good faculty.
IIT students who don't get jobs immediately join coaching institutes as faculty. These people are paid highly enough and do a competent job. But in most colleges, faculty join only with the intention of staying on and getting automatic promotions.
Their skill and dynamism are hardly questioned because the college administration doesn't believe that there is a demand for exceptionally good teachers. When expectations are low, delivery also will be low. But to raise expectations you need demand. As there is no demand, there is no expectation either. – Kurian CK
The OROP effect
The Congress government wisely put the OROP scheme on the back burner, but sadly the NDA could not do the same ("The real cost of OROP: It has politicised the Indian armed forces"). Having committed themselves on numerous occasions to settling the issue, they have opened a can of worms. Only time will tell the long term repercussions. We have not heard the last of how OROP will affect the moral and social fabric of the country. India is in for "interesting" times in the years to come. – Richard Dartnell
***
Great to read your thoughts. You have hit the nail on the head. Don't you think that this discontent and disillusionment of both serving and retired soldiers will enable India's enemies to easily penetrate the weakened fabric of internal security? – Hari
***
The writer has very aptly described the unfortunate situation that shook the people who have made sacrifices to ensure the sovreignty of our country. Feelings came out in words that were well chosen. Hope the right gentry read the article and feel its essence. – Gul
Footballing frustrations
I think Stephen Constantine is frustrated because he likes India and is trying to help Indian football ("Football coach Stephen Constantine is frustrated and it isn't just due to India’s performances"). He may be frustrated by the lack of effort by the All India Football Federation. Many of its members do not have a background in footbal and some of them haven't even played the sport.
If the I-League teams are against the Indian Super League, then they should provide a strong foundation for Indian football. Indians watch the English Premier League and La Liga for quality football. We wish to see quality football and footballers from our country.
A major advantage of the ISL is the interaction between Indian and international players. The ISL attracted unprecedented viewership and the led to the creation of football development programmes, which should be further encouraged. ISL should be continued in the years to come. – Adhil Abubacker
Empower the farmer
The piece was informative and the writer has covered some major reasons for the rise in onion prices ("Two charts show why onion prices are rising despite increased production"). That said, the writer should have nailed down the major reason: the neta-babu-trader nexus. Customers have the option of reducing or delaying their purchase. What really troubles me is that no one speaks for the original producer – the farmer in Rajasthan.
Sikar district is a major onion producer. Farmers in the district often throw away their produce or get increasingly burdened by debt owing to poor prices for their produce.
As farmers do not have a strong representation in the price determination process, which is in the hands of traders with full support from bureaucrats and cabinet ministers, they suffer and so does the consumer.
Agriculture is the only sector in India where the producer does not have any say in the price of his product. The media should highlight the plight of agricultural producers and pressurise the powers that be to do what they are supposed to for the overall benefit of our society in general and the producer and consumer in particular. – Sandeep
Bonded to brick-kilns
The article confirms the existence of bonded labour, the failure to implement MGNREGA and the reasons for the same ("Why lakhs of people leave Odisha to work in distant, unsafe brick-kilns"). These problems can be overcome if we make a concerted effort. The bonded labour law is too weak and remains largely unimplemeted, apart from a few cases where bonded labourers got "lucky".
The migrant workers act draws attention away from the real problems on the ground. Brick kiln workers can be supported by effective and beneficial microfinance models, skill training, organisation building among workers, technological support to increase productivity, financial inclusion and inter-operability of social protection schemes across states. Even Department For International Development (DFID) and United Nations agency programmes steer away from strong measures and significant support for livelihoods.
The article analyses the ground realities very well. Are any donors, Indian and international foundations, government officers and UN agencies willing to do what is needed on a long-term basis to strengthen the voices and hands of these brick kiln workers? – Smita Premchander
***
This is because Jawaharlal Nehru messed up the economy to such an extent that India still uses manual labour to produce bricks. – Sri Kotti
Past and present
This magical, lyrical piece on the Kalburgi murder and the great literary and artistic tradition of Dharwad was as gut-wrenching as it was uplifting ("The Dharwad where Kalburgi was killed isn’t the Dharwad of my childhood"). The genesis of the death of ideas, of our traditions, of our collective conscience and our human spirit can be attributed to this galloping, murderously insane and take-no-prisoners monster called market forces.
We are willing or unwilling supplicants to this newfound goddess in our midst and we have lost all sense of values, family life, literary and idealistic pursuits, love and respect for our environment, all to appease this fake goddess.
The younger generation can only envy Maria Aurora Couto and her generation for living in such enlightened times. For us, the bells toll as we see our civilisations collapse around us while we foolishly cling to our bank balances, share certificates and turn to religious hardliners for solace and comfort. – Dr Oscar Rebello
Interpreting history
Your article completely disagrees with what history tells us about Aurangzeb and instead you present it in a completely new manner ("Was Aurangzeb the most evil ruler India has ever had?"). If Aurangzeb was so good then why is he not as fondly remembered as Akbar? The NCERT book dedicates a complete chapter to Akbar but only two pages to Aurangzeb.
You are absolutely correct in saying that at that time, the concept of nationality was non-existent. Kingdoms fought each other for more area and influence. A successful empire had huge armies and its soldiers were very well paid. But Shivaji's army consisted of blacksmiths and farmers. Why did they support him in the battle against Aurangzeb if the latter was so good?
History is written by winners. You presented Aurangzeb as a winner. But the victims should also be asked about the Mughal king. In future, Narendra Modi may be described as a godly figure but some will regard him as the devil. At that time, people will be confused about the facts, which till date are not clear. – Piyush Deshpande