Revisiting history
Sir — For centuries, the United States of America had commemorated Cristopher Columbus’s arrival to its shores. But for America’s indigenous people, Columbus Day was a painful reminder of the violent colonisation of their land. Indigenous Peoples’ Day — proclaimed by the US president, Joe Biden, in 2021 as an alternative to Columbus Day — recognises the historical injustices against natives. Such reparative interventions are welcome. Perhaps the Indian government can emulate this idea and acknowledge the atrocities committed against the marginalised communities instead of sponsoring projects to rewrite history.
Swagata Bakshy, Delhi
Dubious move
Sir — A parliamentary committee headed by the Union home minister, Amit Shah, has recommended that the medium of instruction in higher education institutes in Hindi-speaking states should be Hindi and the respective local languages in other states. The use of English is to be made optional. This is a desperate attempt to impose Hindi and is in line with the ‘one nation, one language’ agenda of the ruling dispensation. English is not only one of the most widely used languages in the world but is also integral to scientific studies. Several countries have made English education compulsory. Lacking the knowledge of English can severely impair the chances of Indian students pursuing studies overseas.
Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai
Sir — The efforts of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government to impose Hindi as the national language have always been strongly countered by the southern states. The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin, has, once again, termed the parliamentary panel’s recent recommendation as an onslaught on India’s diversity. His assessment is justified. People should reject BJP’s linguistic chauvinism.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Sir — If Hindi or another local language is made the medium of instruction in higher education institutions in place of English, the standard of education will definitely fall.
S.D. Dutta, Raichur
Sir — In the article, “Mind the tongue” (Oct 10), Abhinav Narayan and Vasishtan P make a case against naming the Central welfare schemes only in Hindi. About 44 per cent of the Indian population speaks Hindi. A policy formulated only in Hindi thus makes it inaccessible to a large part of the country. Yet, most of the welfare schemes of the Narendra Modi-led dispensation are in Hindi. The Centre should name the schemes in both English and Hindi — as mandated by the Constitution — to ensure maximum reach among target beneficiaries.
K. Nehru Patnaik, Visakhapatnam
Astute politician
Sir — It was saddening to learn about the death of Mulayam Singh Yadav, the founder of the Samajwadi Party (“Socialite socialist is no more”, Oct 11). Revered by his followers as ‘Netaji’, Yadav’s political career, which spanned over six decades, had equal measures of success and failure. Influenced by the ideals of Ram Manohar Lohia, Yadav was steadfast in his commitment to the causes of secularism and social justice. This established him as a formidable opponent of the Bharatiya Janata Party. It must be recalled that it was Yadav who had prevented a right-wing mob from marching towards the Babri Masjid in 1990 by issuing a prohibitory order as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. He will surely go down in history as an icon for the underprivileged.
G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
Sir — Mulayam Singh Yadav will always be remembered as an astute politician (“The socialist”, Oct 13). His election as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1989 ended nearly four decades of Congress rule in the state. His proximity with both corporate honchos as well as Bollywood superstars and his consolidation of the Muslim-Yadav vote bank had a lasting impact on national politics.
Jayanta Datta, Hooghly
Careless approach
Sir — A one-horned rhinoceros was injured recently after being hit by a speeding truck on a highway in the Haldibari Animal Corridor. But no action has been taken against the perpetrator. The incident showed how drivers break the speed limit, which has been set to 40 kmph within the national park to avoid wildlife deaths, with impunity. The authorities must ensure the safety of wildlife.
A.K. Chakraborty, Guwahati
Rare trait
Sir — The article, “Distant hero” (Oct 11), by Ruchir Joshi was an absorbing read. Joshi narrated instances of how the British government had penalised a bureaucrat for a crime that is seemingly pardonable in Indian circles. Joshi went on to chronicle the exploits of a fictional police officer from the British TV series, Foyle’s War. The no-nonsense police officer would not think twice before arresting an influential wrongdoer. Such uprightness is indeed rare in reality.
Amit Brahmo, Calcutta