Letters To The Editor

Your observation in the editorial, ‘Ajmal’s Maths, that AUDF has replicated itself quickly in Uttar Pradesh no doubt reflects your serious concern.

Sectarian trap

• Your observation in the editorial, ‘Ajmal’s Maths’ (IE, May 17), that AUDF has replicated itself quickly in Uttar Pradesh no doubt reflects your serious concern. But the situation is not as grave as you make it out to be. No prominent cleric of any Muslim sect — like the Deobandi, Barelvi, Ahle hadees, Nadwis, and so on — is associated with the newly formed PDF. Only the Shia cleric, Maulana Kalbe Jawad, is anchoring the initiative. His influence is limited only to a small section of Shias in old Lucknow.Some disgruntled Muslims of UP have been trying to form their own political party, but so far they have not been able to garner the support of Muslims in general. The experiment tried out in the mid-1960s by the late Dr A.J. Faridi, a socialist-turned-sectarian leader, in forming the Muslim Majlis only helped to make the Jan Sangh/BJP grow more rapidly. Muslims have become wiser and we hope they will not fall in the trap of such cynical strategies.

— Shariq Alavi, Lucknow

God incarnate

• I haven’t read The Da Vinci Code, nor do I wish to (‘Faith and fantasy’, IE, May 19). I certainly won’t be going to see the film either. This is not because I do not love Christ, but because I love (as the Chandogya Upanishad says) myself — my inner self — more. I’m particularly enamoured of the great Paramahamsa, Sri Ramakrishna, who was a living embodiment of all the shastras. He had practised many leading faiths successfully, and had a vision of Jesus Christ — and Prophet Mohammed, too. He had eventually declared, in no uncertain terms, that Jesus Christ was an incarnation of God; that Mohammed was a Prophet of God. This is gospel truth for me.

— Om Prakash Sharma, Jaipur

Just one question

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• The question that rises in my mind is why this sudden brouhaha over the film, just when it was all set for release? Had not the protesters known about the making of the movie or had they not read about Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code?

— Joyeeta Dey, Kolkata

How about this?

• I would like to congratulate Chhagan Bhujbal, Maharashtra’s OBC leader who is vociferously championing the cause of reservations. He is clear in his mind that reservations are the only way to uplift the OBCs. He should now put his words and thoughts into action by reserving 100 per cent seats for OBC students in his MET group of colleges. The tuition fee for the OBC students should also be reduced with immediate effect. This would convince us that Bhujbal practises what he preaches.

— Atul Gupta, New Delhi

BJP must change

• The BJP is in trouble again. With the resignation of Babulal Marandi, the party which once claimed to be a ‘party with a difference’ has again proved to be a party of differences. The absence of teamwork is now starkly visible in the party. The party neither seems to hold on to its ideology nor has it a direction. It is high time the BJP reinvented itself, else it could face the threat of extinction.

— K.S. Praveen, Kolkata

‘Double bonanza for poor, middle class’: PM’s swadeshi pitch ahead of new GST roll out

India4 hr ago

PM Modi announced the rollout of new GST rates, calling it a "GST bachat utsav" and promising cheaper prices for medicines, insurance, and daily essentials. He emphasized that these reforms would ease doing business, attract investment, and benefit the poor, middle class, MSMEs, farmers, women, traders, and youth. He urged citizens to promote swadeshi goods.

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