I do not have memories of reading anything other than The Hindu . Of late, in the wake of the JNU debate, I’ve found almost all the guest columns on the editorial/perspective pages to be biased and quite unsurprisingly as most of them seem to be connected with JNU in some way or the other. As a lawyer, I understand the laws of sedition just as well as these writers, if not better, and I agree that the charge of sedition slapped on Kanhaiya Kumar is inappropriate in the present case. I am certain the judicial system in this country will have more than sufficient wisdom to pass a fair judgment. What I don’t understand, however, is how most of these writers can continue to justify the slogans raised against India under the garb of free speech and student naivety. It is tiring to read about articles on the ideas and definitions of “nationalism” repeatedly and that appear to be one-sided. When will there be a decision to publish articles by writers who take a different view to that of these writers?
Hiranmayi Narayanan,
Thiruvananthapuram
The hard-hitting article, “ > Emptying the idea of India ” (March 2), has presented a vivid picture of the goings-on in the country today where a deliberate design to snuff out all contrarian thoughts and ideas is in operation and institutions that have earned a reputation for providing an atmosphere for a free airing of thought and diverse ideologies are finding themselves in the firing line.
The spirited defence of the government’s action by the Union HRD Minister might have made for good theatre but, as dissected in the article, it might just end up being little more than a web of lies, as almost every aspect of her arguments has been contradicted by the presentation of cold facts. The highly partisan attitude shown by the government in the arrest of JNU students while treating the lawyers who took the law into their hands with kid gloves only reveals that there is a sinister design.
C.V. Aravind,
Bengaluru
Published - March 03, 2016 12:14 am IST
