Readers’ comments: Stop maligning pigeons

How is feeding other species equal to wasting food (“Why India needs to rethink its love for pigeons”)? Since when did food become exclusive to the human race? Do only humans have the right to eat? Why doesn’t your organisation and these experts have the same outlook towards the ever-increasing human population? Even a child can tell which species is overpopulating the country and the planet. Stop publishing such blasphemous material. I had some respect for Scroll but this article is fear mongering with a clear attempt to malign these innocent birds. It is shameful to see that Scroll has started publishing such articles to stay relevant. – Raja Iyer

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I have been asthmatic since birth and have been feeding birds for more than a decade. Nothing has happened to me, rather, my asthma has eased. We are humans and should show compassion and kindness to other living beings. – Sabi Hunt

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How many people are estimated to die every year from feeding pigeons – 1,000? 10,000? 1,00,000? As many people, if not more, die in road accidents, war and various calamities. We are a huge population of human beings. A few dying of the much-hyped pigeon feeding will be a good thing. Pulmonologists have to do their bit to show their importance to the world. Let us live (and die) with compassion instead of thinking that we are some sort of superior species – we are apes, nothing more. – KT Ganapathy

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This article highlights the harmful presence of pigeons which is true and needs control. In Vadodara, I experienced the nuisance of this bird which spoils the surroundings with its foul smell and its feathers lead to breathing problems. The government and bird lovers should understand this grave situation and take measures to control the numbers. – B Gopalakrishnan

South Indian states and population

It is true that the call to have more children is patriarchal but why are cultural anxieties misplaced (“What Chandrababu Naidu really means when he calls for Andhra couples to have more children”)? Why is the attempt to assert cultural identity seen as linguistic chauvinism in the Southern States but the privileged status given to Hindi is not? There is a fallacious comparison between migration to the Global North with the patterns of internal migration in the Indian subcontinent that ignore colonialism and neo-liberalism. Unfortunately, migration is not the answer to the Southern States’ successful attempts to control their population. – Geetanjali Srikanta

Hindustani music, Hindutva

Do any church choirs sing Hindu bhajans to the tunes of Christian Hymns (“What does it mean to sing Hindustani music while Hindutva attempts to co-opt the tradition?”)? On the day one finds that, we can discuss Carnatic music being Christianised. – Swetachalapathi Sonti

Christians being converted

The Vishva Hindu Parishad is doing good work (“WhatsApp vigilantes in India are converting Christians by force”). Gullible people in times of crisis are being converted to Christianity. Any religion relying on conversion is falsehood. – Ravinder Grewal

Redesigned Lady Justice

I appreciate the insightful critique of the redesigned Lady Justice statue (Sightless no more: In decolonial garb, India’s new Lady Justice is a contradictory symbol”). However, I feel that while the article raises important questions about symbolism and decolonisation, it could more explicitly address the systemic inequalities in India’s justice system. Justice often seems contingent on the status of those involved, which complicates the ideals of impartiality and fairness. Thank you for your thought-provoking work. – Varun Sain

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The people who designed this new statue must have been unaware of the meaning and origins of Lady Justice. What will happen if the Constitution gets changed? – Cecily Ray