Opinion Spirit of law
I wish he had added that this was only after the enactment by UKs Parliament of the Racial and Religious Hatred Act,2006.
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Spirit of law
I thank Meghnad Desai for pointing out (Faith in freedom,IE,January 26)) that in 2008 the UK abolished by statute the common law offence of blasphemy. I wish he had added that this was only after the enactment by UKs Parliament of the Racial and Religious Hatred Act,2006. Even post-2008,if the publication of a book or an article in the UK stirs up religious hatred or causes a public order disturbance,statute law now intervenes a situation that has prompted professors of law in England to say that the body of blasphemy law may be dead,but its spirit lives on.
Fali S. Nariman
New Delhi
Manufacturing protest
Manufacturing non-existing controversies and then trying to assuage the supposedly hurt religious feelings is a new low in our politics perhaps for a few votes more on the eve of the upcoming assembly elections. Quite an innocuous remark on the Golden Temple has been distorted out of proportion while the matter could have been allowed to rest. On the other hand,the Jaipur Literature Festival drama over Salman Rushdie was quite unconvincing and may have quite the opposite effect.
Raghubir Singh
Samizdat Verses?
I read Hashtivism at #JLF (IE,January 26) with interest. I have some empathy for Hari Kunzru,who made a self-defeating apologia of sorts following his one-line tweet on reading from the book. Writers will protest,and they have against this stifling of the freedom of expression (Rushdies novel is now the most accepted symbol of that). But they will want to be read,need their publishers,editors and the entire support edifice. They cannot write or protest in isolation. For an effective protest,Rushdies book needs a wider support network. If The Satanic Verses hasnt been published in India for whatever reasons (and the ban is a customs ban),whats to stop it from being published in India in samizdat? The sheer quantity might be enough to stop its opponents.
Anu Kumar
Singapore
Mayas way ahead
Christophe Jaffrelots article Her Sarvajan Test
(IE,January 26) comprehensively highlighted the political achievements of the BSP in Uttar Pradesh. Theres no doubt that in a country ridden with grim stories of caste discrimination for decades,Mayawati will enter the pages of history as one of the most powerful Dalit political figures,after only B.R. Ambedkar. However,what remains to
be seen in the years to come is whether the BSP will be able
to expand its political agenda to bring about all-round
development,across castes. Mired in a labyrinth of scams and with the Election
Commission coming down upon it for the statues of Mayawati and the elephant (the partys poll symbol),the BSP seems to be walking on a razors edge.
Arpita Roy
New Delhi
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