Letters To The Editor

Liberty terrific, but...n I find it hard to agree with Philip Oldenburg8217;s approach to liberty, in his piece, 8216;Total Security? No S...

Liberty terrific, but8230;

n I find it hard to agree with Philip Oldenburg8217;s approach to liberty, in his piece, 8216;Total Security? No Such Thing8217; IE, July 20. Citing the principle adopted by the likes of Benjamin Franklin, the author argues that essential liberty cannot be sacrificed for an illusion of complete safety. The author finds that tapping telephone calls and setting up surveillance systems will yield no benefit and will eventually undermine the cherished principles of liberty. I feel that I speak for most Indians when I say that conversing on the telephone, or being free from the public gaze in public, is not counted by us as an essential freedom. No freedom to us is so sacrosanct that we will suffer terrorism for it. I qualify this observation with the implicit understanding that the state will keep its terrorism-curbing powers within permissible limits. If it doesn8217;t, our courts will ensure that justice will be done. But make no mistake about it 8212; life comes first, then liberty. If we cannot be guaranteed a relatively terror-free life, we do not want this illusion of liberty.

8212; Abhinav Chandrachud, Mumbai

12 hours a day

8226; INDIANS will do anything for money, except work. Most people will not be able to digest what you said in your editorial, 8216;Less pay, no work8217; IE, July 21: 8220;Government salaries are pathetic. So it works pathetically.8221;

There is one question you have not raised. Will increasing salaries bring down corruption? I don8217;t think this will happen. Also, while you compare the salaries of government servants with those in the private sector, you don8217;t take into account the fact that private sector employees often work 12 hours a day, and don8217;t have either job security or pensions.

8212; B.K. Chatterjee, Faridabad

Spent city

8226; KUMAR KETKAR is right in his piece, 8216;Modi can8217;t fix the Mumbai mosaic8217; IE, July 19 when he concludes that Narendra Modi cannot empower such exhausted Mumbaikars. But he is wrong in including all of Mumbai in the term 8220;exhausted Mumbaikars8221;. It is only people like Kumar Ketkar who are exhausted. In Mumbai, Modi spoke the truth and nothing but the truth. He came to heal the wounds and inspire the people of Mumbai in particular and India in general.

8212; K. Aiyar, Mumbai

Astro query

8226; THIS refers to the letter, 8216;Shrine access8217; by Rajinder Sachar IE, July 21. Justice Sachar has rightly condemned Kerala Minister Sudhakaran for objecting to K.R. Gauri8217;s suggestion to make Sabarimala temple accessible to women. One can understand politicians being vulnerable to populist conservative pressures. But what about Justice Sachar8217;s fraternity which does not depend on vote banks for their existence? The Kerala High court had decided 8220;if the wish of Lord Ayyappa as revealed by Devaprasnam conducted at the temple prohibit a woman of a particular age group from worshipping at the temple, the same has to be honoured and followed by worshippers and temple authorities.8221; Since when have cases been decided by astrological assessments?

8212; N. Kunju, Delhi

Returned bill

8226; HOW will the president act on the office of profit bill, we wonder. Crores of disinterested, nationally conscious people like myself feel that the bill was hurried through in Parliament by politicians for their own self-interest. This piece of legislation is not in the interest of the citizen. The president, who never forgets that he too is an Indian citizen, had rightly returned the bill for Parliament8217;s reconsideration.

8212; V.E. Venkataramani, Bangalore