Narendra Modi at Madison Square Garden
The Indian media have been fulsome in their praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public-speaking skills during his recent address at the Madison Square Garden in New York. It cannot, however, be ignored that Modi has failed to inspire confidence and hope. He had no healing touch to offer. For a man who was barred from entry to the United States for his alleged complicity in the 2002 Gujarat riots, it was expected that he would make some references to that ghastly episode in India’s history and seek reconciliation. He could have expounded on the cohesive nature of India’s post-independent multicultural society and how it could be preserved. He said no such thing and instead made sectarian gestures from the start.-Ayub Khan
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The propaganda against Modi seems to be never ending, despite being cleared of any wrongdoing by the India's Supreme Court. During the past 14 years, the former Congress-led government had tried many methods to get Modi behind bars. He has now been elected on the mandate of more than 500 million people. Individuals who had filed cases against him are now found lying under oath.-Anand Shukla
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At Madison Square Garden, Modi was talking to Indians living in US and therefore talked about their issues. What is wrong with making such comments?-Shiv Khare
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I am superlatively amused. You're indubitably a clown of the nth order John Oliver.
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There are ample perverted talents in this world that can mock anything. One should look at the output of what this clown versus the value of Modi's speech.-Vempati Sudarsan
* * *
John Oliver being amused is worth more than 10 “expert “ opinions-Joseph Thomas
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You silly goops think that getting ribbed by Jon Stewart or John Oliver is a badge of honour, though I don't expect any better from humorless lefties and jholawalas. Pick up a broom and sweep the cobwebs out of your minds.-Mohan Krishnan
NRIs, Modi and India
We do not require the acknowledgement of others to know our worth. We do not beg for recognition. We gave earned it through our commitment to our adopted countries. We pay for visas to the "motherland". We pay the higher prices when we fly internally, visit museums, galleries and places of worship on our visits to India. We do not beg for handouts, but we donate generously without the publicity.-Ambirit
* * *
I always knew that NRIs in America were the "great saviours" that made the "Modi phenomenon" happen. Thank you very much. We owe it to you for having kept the patience, kindness and goodness. Narendra Modi is a phenomenon of the 21st century.-NR Rao
Cleaning up the Ganga
No solution will satisfy the numerous constituencies of environmentalists, pro-development and religious groups or the multitudes of people living on the banks of the Ganga. More than 400 million people live in the Ganga basin and are at the mercy of nature and man-made pollution. Given that it is the most densely populated river basin outside China, it behooves the people and the government of India to come up with a rational plan, taking as many interest groups as possible to devise a rational plan. This would be a monumental undertaking that would change the lives of hundreds of millions.-Sumant Rawat
The urgent need to construct toilets and issues surrounding them
In Hyderabad, people construct shops and collect heavy rents. They do not provide toilet facilities. Generally people stay near their shops or urinate in the open. Very often, toilets do not have doors and are maintained very badly. Modiji talked about rural women and their suffering. What about the silent sufferers in metros? I was forced to give up my business as the landlord, who hails from a well-known political family, did not repair the toilet door despite repeated requests. He, however, increased the rent every year. When such a mentality prevails, can Modi's aim to construct toilets all over India come true?-Rajathi Sreenivasan
* * *
Over the last 30 years of working with rural women on various issues, one thing is very clear. Sanitation per se is low on the man’s priority list, though women understand its worth. Giving women responsibility of government money can translate into the construction of a toilet. Common toilets, meanwhile, will never work in rural areas because of the prevalence of other open spaces, where they can defecate. Assuming the community toilet is built, there is a major challenge in getting divided communities to use and maintain it.-Sanjay Joshi
Swacch Bharat Abhiyan
I read your website's article on Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, where you seemed amused as if there was a government picnic across the country. How in the world can anyone be so biased? Shame on you.-Gautam Wadhwani
Racial discrimination against Africans in Delhi
This comment is in response to the article titled, "Racist mob? No worse than what Africans face every day in Delhi." Your article is completely based on the author's prejudice and makes India look bad. You are the ones who criticise the people of Delhi, when crimes against women take place and then do nothing about it. I agree that taking the law in your own hands isn't the best thing anybody should do. But sometimes, our laws themselves are the reason why people don't do the right thing.-Ankush Pandey
India’s long history of sheltering persecuted minorities
Your historical account of the defeat suffered by Ottoman opposition forces, who threatened Haifa and the budding Bahai Faith and its leader, is much appreciated. The article provided me with a fuller sense of gratitude to those courageous warriors and their families. Had it not been for that victorious encounter, we Bahais in California and the other western states would not have had the blessing of receiving Abdul-Bahai's "Tablets of the Divine Plan".-Charleen
Navtej Sarna's account of a forgotten journey between Israel and the subcontinent
Thanks to Navtej Sarna for this wonderful description of a forgotten journey between Israel and the Indian subcontinent. Being a Bahai from India now living in Belgium and interested in everything historical in and around Palestine and Jérusalem, a visit to an Ancient Indian Hospice was remarkable in its depth, scope and beauty. Congratulations to the author for making it all alive and breathing. We shall continue to benefit from such works.-Anupam Premanand
Human behaviour in zoos
The article titled, "The sad truth about animal attacks in Indian zoos: visitors ignore safety warnings", was very informative.-Akhil Pai
Details of the judgement that convicted Jayalalithaa
How can Jayalalithaa's voters and supporters feel that she good for society. She is a looter of funds, that could have otherwise been put to much better use.-Tarlok Mandair
We welcome your comments at
letters@scroll.in.
The Indian media have been fulsome in their praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public-speaking skills during his recent address at the Madison Square Garden in New York. It cannot, however, be ignored that Modi has failed to inspire confidence and hope. He had no healing touch to offer. For a man who was barred from entry to the United States for his alleged complicity in the 2002 Gujarat riots, it was expected that he would make some references to that ghastly episode in India’s history and seek reconciliation. He could have expounded on the cohesive nature of India’s post-independent multicultural society and how it could be preserved. He said no such thing and instead made sectarian gestures from the start.-Ayub Khan
* * *
The propaganda against Modi seems to be never ending, despite being cleared of any wrongdoing by the India's Supreme Court. During the past 14 years, the former Congress-led government had tried many methods to get Modi behind bars. He has now been elected on the mandate of more than 500 million people. Individuals who had filed cases against him are now found lying under oath.-Anand Shukla
* * *
At Madison Square Garden, Modi was talking to Indians living in US and therefore talked about their issues. What is wrong with making such comments?-Shiv Khare
* * *
I am superlatively amused. You're indubitably a clown of the nth order John Oliver.
* * *
There are ample perverted talents in this world that can mock anything. One should look at the output of what this clown versus the value of Modi's speech.-Vempati Sudarsan
* * *
John Oliver being amused is worth more than 10 “expert “ opinions-Joseph Thomas
* * *
You silly goops think that getting ribbed by Jon Stewart or John Oliver is a badge of honour, though I don't expect any better from humorless lefties and jholawalas. Pick up a broom and sweep the cobwebs out of your minds.-Mohan Krishnan
NRIs, Modi and India
We do not require the acknowledgement of others to know our worth. We do not beg for recognition. We gave earned it through our commitment to our adopted countries. We pay for visas to the "motherland". We pay the higher prices when we fly internally, visit museums, galleries and places of worship on our visits to India. We do not beg for handouts, but we donate generously without the publicity.-Ambirit
* * *
I always knew that NRIs in America were the "great saviours" that made the "Modi phenomenon" happen. Thank you very much. We owe it to you for having kept the patience, kindness and goodness. Narendra Modi is a phenomenon of the 21st century.-NR Rao
Cleaning up the Ganga
No solution will satisfy the numerous constituencies of environmentalists, pro-development and religious groups or the multitudes of people living on the banks of the Ganga. More than 400 million people live in the Ganga basin and are at the mercy of nature and man-made pollution. Given that it is the most densely populated river basin outside China, it behooves the people and the government of India to come up with a rational plan, taking as many interest groups as possible to devise a rational plan. This would be a monumental undertaking that would change the lives of hundreds of millions.-Sumant Rawat
The urgent need to construct toilets and issues surrounding them
In Hyderabad, people construct shops and collect heavy rents. They do not provide toilet facilities. Generally people stay near their shops or urinate in the open. Very often, toilets do not have doors and are maintained very badly. Modiji talked about rural women and their suffering. What about the silent sufferers in metros? I was forced to give up my business as the landlord, who hails from a well-known political family, did not repair the toilet door despite repeated requests. He, however, increased the rent every year. When such a mentality prevails, can Modi's aim to construct toilets all over India come true?-Rajathi Sreenivasan
* * *
Over the last 30 years of working with rural women on various issues, one thing is very clear. Sanitation per se is low on the man’s priority list, though women understand its worth. Giving women responsibility of government money can translate into the construction of a toilet. Common toilets, meanwhile, will never work in rural areas because of the prevalence of other open spaces, where they can defecate. Assuming the community toilet is built, there is a major challenge in getting divided communities to use and maintain it.-Sanjay Joshi
Swacch Bharat Abhiyan
I read your website's article on Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, where you seemed amused as if there was a government picnic across the country. How in the world can anyone be so biased? Shame on you.-Gautam Wadhwani
Racial discrimination against Africans in Delhi
This comment is in response to the article titled, "Racist mob? No worse than what Africans face every day in Delhi." Your article is completely based on the author's prejudice and makes India look bad. You are the ones who criticise the people of Delhi, when crimes against women take place and then do nothing about it. I agree that taking the law in your own hands isn't the best thing anybody should do. But sometimes, our laws themselves are the reason why people don't do the right thing.-Ankush Pandey
India’s long history of sheltering persecuted minorities
Your historical account of the defeat suffered by Ottoman opposition forces, who threatened Haifa and the budding Bahai Faith and its leader, is much appreciated. The article provided me with a fuller sense of gratitude to those courageous warriors and their families. Had it not been for that victorious encounter, we Bahais in California and the other western states would not have had the blessing of receiving Abdul-Bahai's "Tablets of the Divine Plan".-Charleen
Navtej Sarna's account of a forgotten journey between Israel and the subcontinent
Thanks to Navtej Sarna for this wonderful description of a forgotten journey between Israel and the Indian subcontinent. Being a Bahai from India now living in Belgium and interested in everything historical in and around Palestine and Jérusalem, a visit to an Ancient Indian Hospice was remarkable in its depth, scope and beauty. Congratulations to the author for making it all alive and breathing. We shall continue to benefit from such works.-Anupam Premanand
Human behaviour in zoos
The article titled, "The sad truth about animal attacks in Indian zoos: visitors ignore safety warnings", was very informative.-Akhil Pai
Details of the judgement that convicted Jayalalithaa
How can Jayalalithaa's voters and supporters feel that she good for society. She is a looter of funds, that could have otherwise been put to much better use.-Tarlok Mandair
