Opinion Letter of the Week: Get real

The Congress needs to get real and engage in some introspection if it wants to bounce back.

July 5, 2014 12:03 AM IST First published on: Jul 5, 2014 at 12:03 AM IST

This refers to ‘How to be secular’ (IE, June 30). The editorial was correct in its portrayal of the sentiments of the people of India. A.K. Antony is the first Congress leader who has boldly admitted that this party’s version of secularism might be distorted. While Antony’s remarks were meant for the Kerala Congress, they are applicable to the party as a whole. But what Antony said is not new. Even Muslim leaders like Maulana Madani have pointed out that instead of scaring Muslims by raising the spectre of the BJP, the Congress must do something substantive to bring Muslims on par with other communities like implement the recommendations of the Sachar committee report. Muslims themselves are sceptical of the Congress now. Everyone knows, for instance, that the Maharashtra government’s reservation announcement on the eve of elections might not stand the court’s scrutiny. The Congress needs to get real and engage in some introspection if it wants to bounce back.

B.N. Anand
Mohali

Free thinking
This refers to the article, ‘Ready to crawl’ (IE, July 3) by Megha Kumar. The article seems rather self-involved. Lovers of free speech such as Kumar bemoan their publishers’ capitulation to real or perceived pressure. But they tend to avoid their work being subjected to genuine critical enquiry and rigorous tests of truth and factual accuracy. Peer-reviews are often by like-minded intellectuals.

Ajay Tyagi
Mumbai

Playing fair
This refers to the article, ‘Not a level football field’ by Mukul Mudgal (IE, July 4). I completely agree with the writer that FIFA should follow fair rules when dealing with errant players in the World Cup. Even small indications of wrongdoing like diving should lead to a ban on the player for a couple of matches. The game needs to be pure and played by the rules. The flip side is that players might use these stern penalties to their own advantage. It might even lead to spot fixing. The process of imposing bans should be nuanced, well-structured and foolproof.

Kushan Dixit
Lucknow

Right signal
By Becoming the first country to ratify the Marrakesh treaty for the visually impaired, India has sent a heartening and an unequivocal message about its commitment to the welfare and empowerment of its visually impaired citizens. The non-availability of books in readable formats like Braille is a big stumbling block for the visually impaired, who have trouble accumulating a knowledge base and skills that will help them do well in life. Creating space and an environment for the visually impaired to improve, explore and experiment with their creative potential is the need of the hour.

M. Jeyaram
Sholavandan