Clearing the air

If someone warned you against lighting fires because a fire lit to celebrate a religious festival had burned someone’s home to the ground, would that be called shaming (“Is complaining about Diwali cracker pollution really a case of 'Hindu shaming'?”).

The fact is that the chemicals burned in firecrackers are toxins which cause air pollution well beyond accepted levels. This is hazardous and causes suffering to residents who have respiratory and cardiac problems. Children, the elderly and pregnant women are particularly at risk.

Every year, 40,000 die prematurely because of air pollution.

We all have the right to fresh and clean water and air. Old trucks, motorcycles and cars, diesel generators, coal-powered power plants, inefficient fuels and stoves, crop-burning and dust from fields, tires and construction sites all contribute to the pollution in Delhi. But the most toxic contributors are the firecrackers burst during festivals, holidays and weddings. And there is no religious connection or obligation between the religion, Diwali and firecrackers.

Delhi has the world’s worst air. Is this the world we want to leave for our children? – Budd Margolis

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Thanks for this eye-opening and informed article. We are destroying nature in the name of religion in many ways. Apart from the air pollution seen after Diwali, we see noise pollution and water pollution during the Ganpati festival. Other ceremonies, weddings and rituals also generate waste.

Humans should always look at religion through the lens of practical knowledge. Rituals should be re-evaluated with time and those that are found to be harmful, senseless or outdated should be weeded out. Most things done in the name of religion are done blindly. – Vinay Wadikar

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Complaining about pollution caused by firecrackers is one thing but taking great efforts to prove that firecrackers are not truly Indian is surely shaming.

What defines a tradition is not how old it is but how deeply associated it is with ones social psyche. I surely am not a scholar of Hinduism or history but I do not care whether or not Indians drank tea 200 years ago.

Indians surely did not brew beers or distil whiskey either but are one of the biggest consumers of alcohol.

Dismissing a harmful practice by saying that it is not indigenous is the most opportunistic way to argue.

I am a staunch supporter of cracker-free Diwali but the menace should be tackled by looking at its demerits instead of linking it to religion. – Darshan Kaarki

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No one is addressing the root cause of pollution – massive deforestation because of ongoing construction work undertaken by the government and the dumping of rubble in parts of Delhi. My petitions are pending before the NGT. – Anil Sood

Awards and accolades

I'm extremely happy for Scroll.in's staff over the news of the Ramnath Goenka awards ("Scroll.in’s M Rajshekhar and Nayantara Narayanan win Ramnath Goenka awards"). There seems to be a lot of academic research and meticulous planning involved in the success of Scroll. This is just not any other media outlet, it is a news service dedicated to first knowing and then disseminating the truth. Hats off to you for such a marvelous vision in this age of cut-throat competition and sensationalism. – Mujahid Jafri

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My sincerest congratulations to the two Scroll.in journalists who have won the Goenka awards. They deserve the recognition. My best wishes to everyone at Scroll.in for doing great and courageous work. – Fazal Kamal

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Congrats to the two journalists who beat the odds to bring out the truth. Well done, guys. Congrats to Scroll.in too for spotting such talent. – Madipatlanrao

Lengthy battle

It is sad to hear of a retired jawan committing suicide over the improper implementation of the One Rank One Pension scheme ("Ex-Army man commits suicide in Delhi over delay in implementation of OROP scheme").

The scheme has always come with riders because of the attitude of successive governments. The scheme was accepted finally after retired Jawans took to the streets. Reports suggest that the retired jawan ended his life when the rightful financial benefit was denied to him through some covert calculations. The government of the day finds itself in a spot of bother for fooling retired jawans. – Haridasan Rajan

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It's clear that the suicide was because of the implementation of a diluted version of OROP. The state machinery and the media obfuscated the issue. Look at the drama done by the Delhi police and the BJP, getting political leaders detained outside the hospital. BJP may be good in certain aspects but all sorts of selfish, corrupt and dirty politicians gather where power and gains are to be found. – Bala Reddy

Business basics

India has not become more business-friendly than it was earlier ("Why we should get over our obsession with India's ease of doing business ranking"). On the ground in fact the situation is a little worse today than it was before.

Corruption continues to be a major irritant and obstacle for an entrepreneur.

Instead of enabling business, the government creates hurdles to it and the attitude of its employees first needs to change.

Manufacturers want smooth and quick encashment of products at reasonable margin. What has the government done on this front?

All things aside, our agricultural output is certainly Made in India. How has the government made the business of farmers easier? Let the government first improve their lives. – Vinay Bhaskar

Cinematic charm

Congratulations and thank you for your remarkable write up on SD Burman (“Back-to-back heartbreak: SD Burman’s ‘Guide’ experiment remains unparalleled in Hindi film music”). I am an entertainment critic, producer and writer based in South Africa and a Bollywood enthusiast. I had already done a lot of research on Guide over the years but this article offered very many insights over that. It is highly informative, deeply engaging and nostalgic. I look forward to reading more articles of like this. – Varshan

Claiming streets

Stray dogs must not be seen loitering on the streets – that is why so many people are being bitten (“Why is the dog bite problem so concentrated in Kerala, asks Supreme Court”).

The government and animal NGOs should take full responsibility of keeping stray dogs off the streets so that citizens can walk in peace.

Strays don't pay taxes but humans do, so they are entitled to their safety. Anything less is not acceptable as we want our children, parents and grandparents to walk the streets without the fear of being attacked. – Rollin Gonsalvez

Memories of a massacre

This beautiful excerpt from Preeti Gill’s book 1984: In Memory and Imagination brought me to tears (“How the massacre of Sikhs on October 31, 1984 created a new minority community in India”). I was only five when the riots happened and I remember my abba telling my ammi how people were being mercilessly killed in Delhi at that time. It was a very painful period. – Farah Shakeel

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This is a very moving and insightful piece. Our country should hang its head in shame
It takes so little for humans to turn into beasts. – Indrani Raimedhi

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This is a heart-warming story. It shows the feelings and experiences of Sikhs who lived through the 1984 riots. – Gita Mehrotra

Well played

I’m not much of a football fan but I loved this article on the Brazil team as it was beautifully written (“Paradise lost and found: How Arsenal FC nudged Pele towards the 1958 World Cup”). I can only imagine the amount of research that had gone into it. This is a great retelling of a somewhat forgotten history of the world of football. Srijandeep made us relive the history and remember the true genius of Pele. The article also gives us hope of staying alive through cuts and bruises to achieve the ultimate goal. – Sandy D’Clemens

Neighbourhood ties

The questions raised by the Dawn columnist appear to be simple and straight forward and the answers have to be similar (“View from Dawn: Three questions from Pakistan that India needs to answer”).

There are no absolutes in life. It is all relative. It is not just in India that you will find nationalists or patriots. Go to old and established democracies such as the US or countries in Europe and you will find the same issues.
In a democracy, everyone is entitled to have their opinion. But taking law into your own hands is a different matter. In Pakistan, the civilian government, the judiciary and the military have not only encouraged people to eliminate minorities – be it Hindus, Sikhs, Christians or Ahmediyas – but have at times even joined hands with them. – Suman Gadhok

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Democracy came to India only with Independence. Before that, we were ruled by kings and dynasties. Therefore, although politically we were a democracy, we still had the tendency for idol-worship. But that will change. We have started questioning and criticising our leaders. A democracy takes time to mature and evolve.

With regard to religion, India is a tolerant country. In Pakistan, while the population of minorities has shrunk, in India, it has steadily grown. The media highlights incidents of intolerance but people are largely tolerant.

If it were not for hostilities with Pakistan and the threat of war, the army would not have had the influence and importance that it does at present. – Balachandran Kamath

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The answers to these questions are simple. Democracy and secularism are necessary but not enough for a country's progress. One has to add a lot of other things like education, good institutions etc. All of these are works in progress in India.

The third question on military influence, though, is a little puzzling. There is very little influence of the armed forces on public policy and public life in India. – Avirup Datta

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The writer has raised some very important questions. Given that both the countries have so much in common in their cultures, the commonalities found by him do not surprise me. However, despite the current situation, the strength and prosperity of country (or even an individual for that matter) are governed by the kind of values and ideas it stands by. As the writer himself indicates, the values India stands for are more prosperity-friendly than that of Pakistan.

So before asking "what went wrong in India", the author should carefully look at the growth trajectories of both countries. If India and Pakistan are then found to be in the same position, the India should answer what went wrong with it. – Rakesh

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I would like to answer the three questions posed in this article.

On why democracy has not delivered good governance in India — the form of government, be it military rule or democracy, does not automatically lead to prosperity. Good governance can happen when citizens reclaim the government through active participation in governance or serve as watchdogs for bad governance. The Indian-educated middle class has been happy with the luxuries that have come their way after liberalisation and have abrogated their role as civil society. Despite these similarities I think we in India are better off even with bad governance because we have freedom of expression.

With regard to the second question on intolerance in India, I would like there to be an extensive poll of a cross-section of citizens regarding this. Our media has become so theatrical that we don't know if it is showing us what things are or what they want them to be. Some events are mainly becoming media orchestrated. TRP is a robot of sorts which causes non-news to become breaking news and bypasses real news.

What I like about Indian democracy is that there are enough currents and counter currents in the polity, which keeps a balance, by and large. I think intolerance too will be subdued by the diversity and vastness of India.

As for the military influence, India not only has separated state and religion but has also separated the army and the state. As a result, the army's functioning is also relatively clean. Yes, we hear of alleged human rights' violations in areas under AFSPA, but before reforming the army, the people need to reform the government.

China and Pakistan are two major irritants to India with regard to territorial disputes. A strong army, political dialogue and trade are three channels to deal with that. The army is keeping us safe from escalation of incursions.

Yes, we may deify the army sometimes and consider them beyond criticism, but this kind of hero-worship is seen with celebrities as well. The love for the army may look jingoistic but it is also psychological.

It was interesting to see that a Pakistani sees similarities in both countries and has these three questions which may not occur to an Indian living in India. One definitely benefits from looking at the other side. – Dr Wagle

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The real battle is not between India and Pakistan. It is between positive, ethical people on both sides and the hateful, jingoistic and parochial ones. The latter would love the world to continue seeing the fight as one between “India” and “Pakistan”.

I ask, what is Pakistan? The abstraction hides so many people. Is it the poor woman who is trying to feed her children in harsh conditions? The rickshaw puller who doesn’t know where the next bomb or bullet will come from?

Is it the ranger on the border whose mother fears for his life each day?

And same is the case with India? What exactly is India? It is a nation of 1.33 billion people. Among these are crooks, corrupt and selfish people as well as peace lovers. When we let deletion, distortion and generalisation rule our mind, the truth gets overshadowed.

Governance needs to be in the hands of people who are of impeccable integrity, and who genuinely care for the welfare of all people. With regard to intolerance, when the mind is free from narrow religious bigotry, when we see that Allah, Shiva, Ahura Mazda, Love, Peace Awareness are all different names for one truth, when we are anchored in this space of love, we will respect all religions.

Militarism and jingoism come from buying into the illusion of separation. When the minds of rulers are caught up in obsolete abstractions like “India” and “Pakistan”, we often forget the granularity of the men, women and children who are living on the ground . We sweep their needs for peace, good health , wholesome education and two square meals a day under the carpet of nationalism. When we do not allow people to speak freely we experience the distortions and suffering we are seeing all around on our subcontinent.

– Arun Wakhlu

Ailing state

This is an interesting article on the leadership crisis of Tamil Nadu ("What ails Tamil Nadu? Amid prayers for Jayalalithaa, no one has spared a thought for governance").

Apart from the luminaries mentioned in your article, the state has also produced intellectuals who have found global fame – Professor Ramanujam, Dr CV Raman, Professor Radhakrishan, Sundar Pichai and Indira Nooyi, to name a few.

But their names will not be splashed around the state because unlike MGR, Annadurai, and Karunanidhi, they are not Dravidians (Jayalithaa is also on this list of but though Brahmin, she heads a Dravidian party). – Bala Suga

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Thank you for this article. There are many Tamilians who have contributed to the growth of India and the world. In the Constitution drafting committee, three members – Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, Gopalaswami Iyengar and TT Krishnamachari – were from Tamil Nadu.

It is not only that. The GDP of Tamil Nadu has been about Rs 4,789 billion, equivalent to the GDP of rich countries like Norway and Sweden.

Tamil Nadu has also contributed the most of all states to the country's foreign exchange. Although Maharashtra has higher GDP, most of it is from agriculture. To put it in plain terms, Tamil Nadu has been the load-bearing pillar for India.

But its very sad that its citizens do not get their due. The people of Tamil Nadu are taxed for water and drainage charges without any drainage and water connections. It is high time the Modi Govt take care of the state and people of Tamil Nadu for India's development. – Mohamed Salahudeen

Heated debate

This statement on the situation in Kashmir is biased ("'End repression in Kashmir': Statement by Anand Patwardhan, Binayak Sen, Teesta Setalvad and others"). Where were these endorsers when Kashmiri Pandits were killed by terrorists? Why are journalists not writing article about how militants are using people as human shields in Kashmir? Do not publish such rubbish. – Gaurang Bhatt

Corporate clash

With regard to the controversy in the Tata conglomerate, I feel that each group company will go its own way after a series of buyouts and takeovers. The board may have let Ratan Tata down by being a bunch of yes-men and Cyrus may have let the board down by opening his mouth too late. In the middle of all this, the big bucks have been exchanged for tokens to buy a few roulette tables! – Prabhakar A Singh

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As someone of Indian origin living in Canada and who takes pride in all things good and praiseworthy in the Indianness we value, I feel that the Tata's global image have been destroyed in one stroke. Whatever be the reasons for the feud between Cyrus Mistry and the Tata board, the way it has all come out is not good. One only hopes that if Mistry truly loves India, he will let go of this and do his best to save the Tata Group’s image by moving on and flourishing with other business ventures. – Basu Bose

Data detour

I am a research assistant at working in the area of cognitive science and I'd like to point out that the article on GST rates and smoking is spreading wrong data and information ("GST rates: Why the proposed 26% sin tax on tobacco will make no dent in sales"). I don't want to provide you with data or primary information because a simple google scholar search or JSTOR visit for five minutes can show most of the information given by the author, Pankaj Chaturvedi, is wrong. I hope Scroll.in in future will run a fact check up before publishing. – Haby Koshy Mathew