Let Imrana be

8226; It is interesting to note that Islamic law expert, Tahir Mahmood, agrees that Imrana8217;s fate cannot ...

8226; It is interesting to note that Islamic law expert, Tahir Mahmood, agrees that Imrana8217;s fate cannot be decided by ancient juristic wisdom. In a recent comment he has pointed out that a woman subjected to sexual indignity by any of her husband8217;s ascendants or descendants becomes haram prohibited for him was a rule of worldly wisdom evolved by some religious jurists of Arabia over a thousand years ago. Those learned jurists of the time had ruled that such conduct of the husband8217;s relatives would create hurmat-e-musaharat legal bar of affinity under rules of prohibited degrees between him and the wife. He adds that it was pronounced in a society where almost instant remarriage of divorced women was the order of the day and was therefore a pro-woman verdict, enabling wives, outraged by sexual misbehaviour of their male in-laws, to walk out of their marital bond. However, Tahir Mahmood believes that in a country like India, where Islamic law is only selectively applicable, the rule need not be strictly imposed on an innocent and unwilling couple desirous of continuing in marriage.

8212; K.L. Mehta New Delhi

Intellectual India?

8226; Apropos of Jaithirth Rao8217;s piece, 8216;Naipaul8217;s challenge8217; IE, June 29, notwithstanding Naipaul8217;s expectation, Indian society is severely malnourished in terms of creativity and intellectual pursuit. And its educational system is responsible for this. If you talk to students, their main worry is whether their education will land them a job. While this is understandable, the education of an individual should be as much about enhancing intellect and creativity, as anything else.

8212; Sucheta Sanyal Kolkata

8226; It is a pity that in such a scholarly piece as this, with its reference to the Bengal Renaissance, the name of Sri Aurobindo is omitted. But I salute Rao for reminding us about Naipaul8217;s call.

8212; Prasenjit Sen Mumbai

Joint policy

8226; Although the Parechu disaster seems to have been averted, it is high time that Chinese and the Indian governments cooperate and formulate a policy for joint water management 8216;HP floods show Beijing-Delhi link is dry8217;, IE, June 27. If not, then it would be difficult for India, being the lower riparian state, to have any say in the use and control of water by China.

8212; Hetal Doshi New Delhi

Apathy8217;s curse

8226; Pushpa Sundar8217;s 8216;Monumental Crime8217; IE, June 29 rightly points out the state of apathy to India8217;s cultural heritage. The built heritage was profusely exploited by feudal rulers and invaders in the past but even centuries later our mindset does not show a ray of concern towards cultural civilisation. The heritage is still being manhandled, though silently for many other commercial purposes. The level of ignorance is so extreme that the report of the Mirdha Committee, which only recommended the development of basic infrastructure for managing India8217;s heritage, has been lying in the waste bin for more than two decades. Now the newly set up National Heritage Commission has to look beyond it and learn new approaches from the West towards the better preservation and presentation of India8217;s patrimony.

8212; Satish Pandey Oxford