Paying the price
Sir — Be it entitled ministers, corrupt bureaucrats or local goons, it is a common practice for many Indians in positions of power to eat at restaurants and eateries without paying the bill. They do so with impunity, cheating honest business owners — often from the poorer segments of society — of rightful income. The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, recently paid the bill on behalf of four Italian tourists who chose not to do so at an Albanian restaurant. One wonders what the Indian prime minister, who claims to have started his life as a chaiwala himself, would think of this gesture.
Sharanya Mukherjee, Calcutta
Equal justice
Sir — The Supreme Court has had to assure petitioners that Hindus and Muslims will be treated alike for making hate speeches (“Hate mongers will be treated alike: SC”, Aug 19). Had the law enforcement agencies done their work without partisanship, the apex court would not have had to issue this clarification.
The Supreme Court has proposed the setting up of district-wise committees by the district superintendents of police to take suo motu action on hate speeches and ensure prompt action. Such committees must be formed at the earliest.
K. Nehru Patnaik, Visakhapatnam
Sir — Several instances of communal violence — be it the Nuh riots and incidents of cow vigilantism in Haryana or the murder of Muslim citizens by a police constable — underline the impunity granted to those who propagate hatred. This communal poison has been spread by those in power. The Supreme Court’s reminder that hate speech will not be tolerated, irrespective of which community is responsible for it, is thus significant.
As the party that rules at the Centre and in several states, the Bharatiya Janata Party must echo this message unequivocally. The prime minister must throw his political weight behind this cause, sending a strong signal to his followers.
S.S. Paul, Nadia
Sir — The apex court has, as usual, ensured that the minority communities in India do not have to live in fear of injustice. Its words must be taken seriously by law enforcement.
Sneha Kapoor, New Delhi
Fragile peace
Sir — Elopements usually bring the wrath of the family. But in present-day India, it can be rather dangerous. The Bharatiya Janata Party in Ladakh expelled a prominent Muslim leader after his son eloped with a Buddhist woman (“BJP has no space for Muslim whose son married Buddhist”, Aug 18). Apparently, the couple has shattered the social equilibrium of Ladakh. If that is the case, this would have been a perfect opportunity for the BJP to send a message of unity by ensuring that the couple is safe and accepted in society. But the BJP does not practice what it preaches in its slogans.
Kajal Chatterjee, Calcutta
Sir — One wonders how fragile the ‘communal harmony’ in Ladakh is that it can be jeopardised by the elopement of one couple. And if indeed the situation is so poor, how did it get to this point? The BJP is to blame for vitiating the atmosphere in the country.
Shruti Sharma, Ujjain
Dignified approach
Sir — While addressing the G20 health ministers’ meeting in Gujarat, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, emphasised the need for preparedness to respond to the next health emergency. While this is far from an acknowledgement of his government’s abject failure in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, it was refreshing to see that he spared at least this platform when it came to attacking the Opposition.
M.C. Vijay Shankar, Chennai
Manmade crisis
Sir — Incessant rain in the foothills of the Himalayas has wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, taking a heavy toll on physical infrastructure and on lives and livelihoods. The Himalayan region is unstable, tectonically alive and environmentally fragile. One thus cannot remain oblivious to the links between unsustainable development activities and the disasters they trigger. Such activities have to be strictly regulated to prevent man-made disasters.
M. Jeyaram, Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
Economic boost
Sir — The Mamata Banerjee government has taken various steps, including the formulation of a new export policy, to boost the economy of West Bengal (“Bengal aims to double exports”, Aug 19). The vision of this policy is to help Bengal acquire the status of the ‘Global Trading Hub of India’ by doubling the state’s share in India’s total annual exports over the next decade. In the financial year, 2022-23, the total quantum of merchandise exports in India was worth $450.96 billion. Out of this, 2.83% came from Bengal. One hopes that Bengal will surpass other states in economic growth in days to come. It is eminently achieveable.
Khokan Das, Calcutta
