Scientists take on bigotry
A person with an evolved "scientific temper" should be above such childish actions ("Full Text: Padma-winning scientists protest a rash of bigoted acts"). As I child, I would also throw tantrums. But as I matured, reason prevailed. I realised that people are different and we should respect that difference.
This sudden intolerance of intolerance seems more engineered than real. Where were all these conscientious citizens when the majority was being ridiculed, battered and thrown out of their homes? How many of these awardees have returned the monetary part of their award? Whom are they trying to fool?
I believe that the government should verify the contributions of these so-called grand achievers, India has to decide if it really needs such personalities. Why don't they opt for citizenship of a country where they will all be respected? In India, they have lost respect. I am intolerant of the insolent intolerant. – Hemant Trivedi
***
Nobody justifies the denial of the right to dissent, if such a thing does exist. But is there a gag order on writers not to write? If a rationalist was murdered, how does it translate into the denial of the right to dissent? Weren't rationalist writers murdered before Narendra Modi came to power at the Centre? Why weren't awards returned back then?
Has India suddenly become religiously intolerant? Hindu-Muslim enmity is centuries-old. Even Mahatma Gandhi could not stem it. So why is there such a hue and cry over isolated incidents involving some fringe elements? Pseudo-secularism did not prevent the BJP from forming the government. The whole drama of award wapasi appears to be well-orchestrated by anti-Modi elements. – NV Subramanian
Seeking attention
I don't feel we are in a situation which warrants the returning of awards by these so-called intellectuals ("Here is why India's leading scientists are also speaking up against intolerance"). All these people are doing is disrespecting the jury and the teams which helped them win the award.These people have realised that they are no longer in the limelight and that is why they are returning their awards. Some of them won awards before the Emergency. Why didn't they return their awards after that controversial phase? – kamal on email
True autonomy
Free speech has never been entirely free in India ("Why I am returning my national film award: Anand Patwardhan"). Arundhati Roy was charged with sedition - this was not under the Modi government.
I hope that those returning their awards realise that our governments will always interfere in "autonomous" institutions and this is independent of political ideology. They should now take the next logical step – pioneered by Romila Thapar – and reject all government awards. They should take the initiative to set up institutions and awards that are independent of the government altogether. Such institutions and awards will be credible only if they are seen as truly independent.
This idea will probably not become a reality. But then those returning their awards should not complain if others label them hypocrites. You can hardly expect anyone to sympathise if you say that the Sahitya Akademi was good under the Congress but bad under the Bharatiya Janata Party. – M Suresh
Speaking out against social violence
The scale of social violence is clearly dwarfed by the massacres and genocides on the majority population of Bharat which were perpetrated by the invading barbarians ("'Scale of social violence is escalating': 300 artists express alarm about attacks on minorities"). It's unfortunate that these so-called artists do not have the guts to call out or depict those incidents in their art. Now, every small incident is intolerance for them. They should search for work instead of dying for their two seconds of fame. –Sri Kotti
Selective anger
It is shocking to see the high ground being taken after all the consistent howling over the Dadri lynching incident ("Why Bajrang Dal activist Prashant Poojary's murder can't be compared to the Dadri beef lynching"). It is like Pakistan, which triggers a war and then appeals for a ceasefire when it finds itself at the receiving end.
The pre-planned killing of an activist is more atrocious than an accidental mob lynching of a person harbouring the meat of an animal whose slaughter is unlawful.
No one has pardoned the killer mob, but to be pleading silence with regard to the genuine uproar over the activist's murder is shameful, How many writers are now returning awards for him? – Dr Pradeep Sharma
Succumbing to stereotypes
It's ironic that a minister who represents a region which continues to battle stereotypes succumbs to one so easily ("North vs Rest of India: Arvind Kejriwal joins issue with Kiren Rijiju, sparks a Twitter debate"). How difficult is it to discern that such a sweeping remark would not just be in bad taste, but would also reflect poorly on one's personality?
Words can wound and do much worse when they come from persons in positions of authority. Our leaders must exercise the virtue of self-restraint and think twice before making contentious public statements. – Ayushi Singh
ISL needs foreign stars
I think it is about time that we realised and accepted that if teams had to field only Indian players, or not more than two foreign players, then it would never be a "Super League" ("Is the Indian Super League Indian only in name?"). Only a handful of people would watch and follow the tournament and the media would not have bothered to cover it. The English and Spanish leagues, which are immensely popular, do not have restrictions on the number of foreign players taking the field. – Anna Abraham
Farming in flats
It would be great if Priyanka Amar Shah persuades Mumbaikars to take up farming in small flats ("The woman who's convincing Mumbai to farm in small flats"). In the 1960s, my school tried to convince us to do the same.
The problem with the idea is that goes entirely against our caste system and our culture which glorifies "laat sahibs" while denigrating anyone who works with his hands. So best of luck to Priyanka Amar Shah in her campaign against the caste system. – prabhusguptara on email
Health in the right hands
Amit Sengupta's article is extraordinary ("Why India cannot risk putting its health in the hands of the private sector"). The way he has presented facts about the pathetic state of India's health sector is extraordinary He has managed to cover most of the flaws in our system. If any of our politicians were to read this article, they would try to introduce changes in our health system. – Raja Sekhar
Don't blame the BJP
The story mentions that the scourge of casteism was unleashed during the Congress regime post independence ("A few questions for Modi’s whataboutery fans"). However, in reality, casteism has been practiced in India for more than 2,000 years. The article therefore implies that casteism was conceived after independence.
In reality, the Bharatiya Janata Party alone cannot be blamed for initiating a single crime or act of impropriety in the political history of independent India. All the scourges we deplore so much today were unleashed during the Congress' various stints in power, especially during Indira Gandhi's time. These include casteism, communalism under the veil of secularism, the Emergency, the bubble of garibi hatao, scams, personality cult, the curse of dynastic politics and ultimately the Sikh genocide. – Nagsen
Sikhs are struggling
The Punjab problem has not been solved, but suppressed by the excessive use of military might and state terrorism through greedy and selfish cronies, who sold their conscience for money and used every means possible to eliminate the struggling Sikhs ("KPS Gill: Why obvious religious provocation has succeeded in bringing Punjab to the boil").
It is not difficult to buy people like KPS Gill. The Sikhs have had a very rough deal from their Hindu brethren. They were betrayed by Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel. There is a long history of suppressing the Sikhs through ideological means by assimilation and physical elimination. Sikhs were the pride of India. But the way they have been projected through a well-calculated and embedded media – be it press, television of film industry – does not augur well for the nation.
The winds of Hindutva have already started blowing. I wish some wisdom is bestowed on the people who matter and they come out of their narrow and constipated vision to steer this rudderless ship. – Amrit Gill
Sweeping generalisation
For a moment, I nearly nodded my head vigorously in agreement ("The Ravish Kumar interview: Our lazy liberal class was always opportunistic"). But when I scratched deeper, I saw the sweeping generalisation made in the article. I would love to borrow the "lazy liberal class" description, but at whom would I direct the jibe.
For all its lip service, the "lazy liberal class" that I have known always identified with the tendency to contrast themselves against anyone that showed a tendency to be conservative. So I am not sure which category of individuals Ravish Kumar is describing.
Terms like right-wing or left-wing are not bad as long as a hardline stance is not adopted. Being tutored to think along those lines is never a good idea, even if it means always questioning and looking at the traditionally-termed conservative base as outliers of some sort.
Terms like liberal and intellectual cannot be hijacked by anyone, just as patriotism cannot. Remember that moderate voices do not mean that everyone in the group agrees with each other. It just means that they patiently discuss points without getting personal. One has to just learn to accept that such voices can be across the aisle and everywhere. Your train of thought on moderate thinking, however commendable, falters somewhere as you begin to generalise whatever you observe in your region as being representative of the entire country. – Natarajan Ganesan
Love thy neighbour
The whole idea of creating a bottleneck for the supply of oil to Nepal is to appease the Madhesi people, who have close family ties with the people of BIhar ("Blockaded Nepal to buy oil from China as India faces foreign policy debacle"). The Modi government is well aware of this wants to portray a nationalistic ideology amid the ongoing Bihar assembly elections.
I hope that this approach is only temporary and the situation will normalise after the Bihar elections. If not, we risk losing a long-time and long-term friend who has been acting as a shield against aggressive China. – Atharva Shukla
Lalu's journey
It's a very well written story that describes Lalu Prasad Yadav's real political journey ("The incredible rise, fall and rise of Lalu Yadav, the man with a health advisory for Narendra Modi"). Lalu's style has remained the same throughout. His conviction in a corruption case notwithstanding, he was a successful railway minister and the whole world saw his potential during the first tenure of the United Progressive Alliance. His simple dressing style also attracts people.
Coming to the Bihar election, the RSS' ideology has undoubtedly created communal tension in the country and we are faced with serious consequences. Before the election, all the parties promised that they would fight on a single agenda – development. But all of them have been playing with politics of caste, beef and goat. The whole election may hinge on those issues. – Gagandeep Singh
Misplaced perspective
This is an article with the right intent but written from a misplaced perspective ("Love, caste and fury in Tamil Nadu: How a small-time crook came to symbolise Gounder pride"). It is astonishing that the caste problem in Tamil Nadu has taken a backseat against the larger backdrop of the same issue across the country. I truly appreciate the fact that this long-standing issue has been highlighted on a national portal. This issue is often hidden behind the development story of Tamil Nadu and the so-called progressive image of South Indian states.
However, this issue in its entirety cannot be equated or connected to the atmosphere of communal tension prevailing in the country, solely on account of its similarities. Unlike in Karnataka or Uttar Pradesh, tensions in Tamil Nadu have only been internal. They are not influenced by the larger political undercurrents in the country, which is why it is laughable to include and highlight the RSS in this story.
Caste politics in Tamil Nadu is very distinct from the rest of India and needs to be rooted out. But that can only be done if it is understood from a local perspective. – Arun Venkatraman
Grave attack
What a sorry state of affairs ("Ground report: Why was a pregnant woman’s body dragged out of her grave in a Ghaziabad village?"). We have no choice but to hang our heads in shame at such an inhumane, insane and barbaric act. Such satanic acts can only be committed by forces of evil who are sedated with communal hatred and anti-national conspiracies. They vent their anger at a particular community or gender which they believe to be inferior. The master plan was to trigger a communal disturbance. Everyone is now well aware of this modus operandi and the power-hungry people behind it. Sane and peace-loving citizens are now being marginalised by criminal and corrupt politicians. – Amir Talukdar
The big picture
I read the article expecting some unbiased and fair reportage of happenings in my region ("As Dalits in Tamil Nadu are killed for 'love jihad', intercaste couples find refuge in urban anonymity"). But that was not the case.
The author tries to capture the plight only of a certain community, thus ignoring the complete picture. If more than one caste/community is raising a specific complaint against a a particular group, the problem needs to be understood and explained in detail. Here, I find it just mentioned in passing.
While the author meticulously details the plight of those who got married, the other side of the story – of those who went through the ordeal of extortion – is completely neglected.
While I appreciate the author for taking up a sensitive topic and highlighting the ground realities, I would love to see a complete picture which would give the readers get an unbiased view. – Padmanabhan
Liberal bias
Despite some incidents against Dalits in Tamil Nadu, it is apparent that the community is better off in South India than in North India ("Why doesn't the violence against Dalits incite liberal fury, as does violence against Muslims?"). This is partly because English is taught in South India. In the north, Hindi is imposed and English is completely excluded. As a result, modernity is not part of the social discourse in that part of the country. This is ultimately manifested in the bias against Dalits in North India. – Girish Tarwani
A person with an evolved "scientific temper" should be above such childish actions ("Full Text: Padma-winning scientists protest a rash of bigoted acts"). As I child, I would also throw tantrums. But as I matured, reason prevailed. I realised that people are different and we should respect that difference.
This sudden intolerance of intolerance seems more engineered than real. Where were all these conscientious citizens when the majority was being ridiculed, battered and thrown out of their homes? How many of these awardees have returned the monetary part of their award? Whom are they trying to fool?
I believe that the government should verify the contributions of these so-called grand achievers, India has to decide if it really needs such personalities. Why don't they opt for citizenship of a country where they will all be respected? In India, they have lost respect. I am intolerant of the insolent intolerant. – Hemant Trivedi
***
Nobody justifies the denial of the right to dissent, if such a thing does exist. But is there a gag order on writers not to write? If a rationalist was murdered, how does it translate into the denial of the right to dissent? Weren't rationalist writers murdered before Narendra Modi came to power at the Centre? Why weren't awards returned back then?
Has India suddenly become religiously intolerant? Hindu-Muslim enmity is centuries-old. Even Mahatma Gandhi could not stem it. So why is there such a hue and cry over isolated incidents involving some fringe elements? Pseudo-secularism did not prevent the BJP from forming the government. The whole drama of award wapasi appears to be well-orchestrated by anti-Modi elements. – NV Subramanian
Seeking attention
I don't feel we are in a situation which warrants the returning of awards by these so-called intellectuals ("Here is why India's leading scientists are also speaking up against intolerance"). All these people are doing is disrespecting the jury and the teams which helped them win the award.These people have realised that they are no longer in the limelight and that is why they are returning their awards. Some of them won awards before the Emergency. Why didn't they return their awards after that controversial phase? – kamal on email
True autonomy
Free speech has never been entirely free in India ("Why I am returning my national film award: Anand Patwardhan"). Arundhati Roy was charged with sedition - this was not under the Modi government.
I hope that those returning their awards realise that our governments will always interfere in "autonomous" institutions and this is independent of political ideology. They should now take the next logical step – pioneered by Romila Thapar – and reject all government awards. They should take the initiative to set up institutions and awards that are independent of the government altogether. Such institutions and awards will be credible only if they are seen as truly independent.
This idea will probably not become a reality. But then those returning their awards should not complain if others label them hypocrites. You can hardly expect anyone to sympathise if you say that the Sahitya Akademi was good under the Congress but bad under the Bharatiya Janata Party. – M Suresh
Speaking out against social violence
The scale of social violence is clearly dwarfed by the massacres and genocides on the majority population of Bharat which were perpetrated by the invading barbarians ("'Scale of social violence is escalating': 300 artists express alarm about attacks on minorities"). It's unfortunate that these so-called artists do not have the guts to call out or depict those incidents in their art. Now, every small incident is intolerance for them. They should search for work instead of dying for their two seconds of fame. –Sri Kotti
Selective anger
It is shocking to see the high ground being taken after all the consistent howling over the Dadri lynching incident ("Why Bajrang Dal activist Prashant Poojary's murder can't be compared to the Dadri beef lynching"). It is like Pakistan, which triggers a war and then appeals for a ceasefire when it finds itself at the receiving end.
The pre-planned killing of an activist is more atrocious than an accidental mob lynching of a person harbouring the meat of an animal whose slaughter is unlawful.
No one has pardoned the killer mob, but to be pleading silence with regard to the genuine uproar over the activist's murder is shameful, How many writers are now returning awards for him? – Dr Pradeep Sharma
Succumbing to stereotypes
It's ironic that a minister who represents a region which continues to battle stereotypes succumbs to one so easily ("North vs Rest of India: Arvind Kejriwal joins issue with Kiren Rijiju, sparks a Twitter debate"). How difficult is it to discern that such a sweeping remark would not just be in bad taste, but would also reflect poorly on one's personality?
Words can wound and do much worse when they come from persons in positions of authority. Our leaders must exercise the virtue of self-restraint and think twice before making contentious public statements. – Ayushi Singh
ISL needs foreign stars
I think it is about time that we realised and accepted that if teams had to field only Indian players, or not more than two foreign players, then it would never be a "Super League" ("Is the Indian Super League Indian only in name?"). Only a handful of people would watch and follow the tournament and the media would not have bothered to cover it. The English and Spanish leagues, which are immensely popular, do not have restrictions on the number of foreign players taking the field. – Anna Abraham
Farming in flats
It would be great if Priyanka Amar Shah persuades Mumbaikars to take up farming in small flats ("The woman who's convincing Mumbai to farm in small flats"). In the 1960s, my school tried to convince us to do the same.
The problem with the idea is that goes entirely against our caste system and our culture which glorifies "laat sahibs" while denigrating anyone who works with his hands. So best of luck to Priyanka Amar Shah in her campaign against the caste system. – prabhusguptara on email
Health in the right hands
Amit Sengupta's article is extraordinary ("Why India cannot risk putting its health in the hands of the private sector"). The way he has presented facts about the pathetic state of India's health sector is extraordinary He has managed to cover most of the flaws in our system. If any of our politicians were to read this article, they would try to introduce changes in our health system. – Raja Sekhar
Don't blame the BJP
The story mentions that the scourge of casteism was unleashed during the Congress regime post independence ("A few questions for Modi’s whataboutery fans"). However, in reality, casteism has been practiced in India for more than 2,000 years. The article therefore implies that casteism was conceived after independence.
In reality, the Bharatiya Janata Party alone cannot be blamed for initiating a single crime or act of impropriety in the political history of independent India. All the scourges we deplore so much today were unleashed during the Congress' various stints in power, especially during Indira Gandhi's time. These include casteism, communalism under the veil of secularism, the Emergency, the bubble of garibi hatao, scams, personality cult, the curse of dynastic politics and ultimately the Sikh genocide. – Nagsen
Sikhs are struggling
The Punjab problem has not been solved, but suppressed by the excessive use of military might and state terrorism through greedy and selfish cronies, who sold their conscience for money and used every means possible to eliminate the struggling Sikhs ("KPS Gill: Why obvious religious provocation has succeeded in bringing Punjab to the boil").
It is not difficult to buy people like KPS Gill. The Sikhs have had a very rough deal from their Hindu brethren. They were betrayed by Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel. There is a long history of suppressing the Sikhs through ideological means by assimilation and physical elimination. Sikhs were the pride of India. But the way they have been projected through a well-calculated and embedded media – be it press, television of film industry – does not augur well for the nation.
The winds of Hindutva have already started blowing. I wish some wisdom is bestowed on the people who matter and they come out of their narrow and constipated vision to steer this rudderless ship. – Amrit Gill
Sweeping generalisation
For a moment, I nearly nodded my head vigorously in agreement ("The Ravish Kumar interview: Our lazy liberal class was always opportunistic"). But when I scratched deeper, I saw the sweeping generalisation made in the article. I would love to borrow the "lazy liberal class" description, but at whom would I direct the jibe.
For all its lip service, the "lazy liberal class" that I have known always identified with the tendency to contrast themselves against anyone that showed a tendency to be conservative. So I am not sure which category of individuals Ravish Kumar is describing.
Terms like right-wing or left-wing are not bad as long as a hardline stance is not adopted. Being tutored to think along those lines is never a good idea, even if it means always questioning and looking at the traditionally-termed conservative base as outliers of some sort.
Terms like liberal and intellectual cannot be hijacked by anyone, just as patriotism cannot. Remember that moderate voices do not mean that everyone in the group agrees with each other. It just means that they patiently discuss points without getting personal. One has to just learn to accept that such voices can be across the aisle and everywhere. Your train of thought on moderate thinking, however commendable, falters somewhere as you begin to generalise whatever you observe in your region as being representative of the entire country. – Natarajan Ganesan
Love thy neighbour
The whole idea of creating a bottleneck for the supply of oil to Nepal is to appease the Madhesi people, who have close family ties with the people of BIhar ("Blockaded Nepal to buy oil from China as India faces foreign policy debacle"). The Modi government is well aware of this wants to portray a nationalistic ideology amid the ongoing Bihar assembly elections.
I hope that this approach is only temporary and the situation will normalise after the Bihar elections. If not, we risk losing a long-time and long-term friend who has been acting as a shield against aggressive China. – Atharva Shukla
Lalu's journey
It's a very well written story that describes Lalu Prasad Yadav's real political journey ("The incredible rise, fall and rise of Lalu Yadav, the man with a health advisory for Narendra Modi"). Lalu's style has remained the same throughout. His conviction in a corruption case notwithstanding, he was a successful railway minister and the whole world saw his potential during the first tenure of the United Progressive Alliance. His simple dressing style also attracts people.
Coming to the Bihar election, the RSS' ideology has undoubtedly created communal tension in the country and we are faced with serious consequences. Before the election, all the parties promised that they would fight on a single agenda – development. But all of them have been playing with politics of caste, beef and goat. The whole election may hinge on those issues. – Gagandeep Singh
Misplaced perspective
This is an article with the right intent but written from a misplaced perspective ("Love, caste and fury in Tamil Nadu: How a small-time crook came to symbolise Gounder pride"). It is astonishing that the caste problem in Tamil Nadu has taken a backseat against the larger backdrop of the same issue across the country. I truly appreciate the fact that this long-standing issue has been highlighted on a national portal. This issue is often hidden behind the development story of Tamil Nadu and the so-called progressive image of South Indian states.
However, this issue in its entirety cannot be equated or connected to the atmosphere of communal tension prevailing in the country, solely on account of its similarities. Unlike in Karnataka or Uttar Pradesh, tensions in Tamil Nadu have only been internal. They are not influenced by the larger political undercurrents in the country, which is why it is laughable to include and highlight the RSS in this story.
Caste politics in Tamil Nadu is very distinct from the rest of India and needs to be rooted out. But that can only be done if it is understood from a local perspective. – Arun Venkatraman
Grave attack
What a sorry state of affairs ("Ground report: Why was a pregnant woman’s body dragged out of her grave in a Ghaziabad village?"). We have no choice but to hang our heads in shame at such an inhumane, insane and barbaric act. Such satanic acts can only be committed by forces of evil who are sedated with communal hatred and anti-national conspiracies. They vent their anger at a particular community or gender which they believe to be inferior. The master plan was to trigger a communal disturbance. Everyone is now well aware of this modus operandi and the power-hungry people behind it. Sane and peace-loving citizens are now being marginalised by criminal and corrupt politicians. – Amir Talukdar
The big picture
I read the article expecting some unbiased and fair reportage of happenings in my region ("As Dalits in Tamil Nadu are killed for 'love jihad', intercaste couples find refuge in urban anonymity"). But that was not the case.
The author tries to capture the plight only of a certain community, thus ignoring the complete picture. If more than one caste/community is raising a specific complaint against a a particular group, the problem needs to be understood and explained in detail. Here, I find it just mentioned in passing.
While the author meticulously details the plight of those who got married, the other side of the story – of those who went through the ordeal of extortion – is completely neglected.
While I appreciate the author for taking up a sensitive topic and highlighting the ground realities, I would love to see a complete picture which would give the readers get an unbiased view. – Padmanabhan
Liberal bias
Despite some incidents against Dalits in Tamil Nadu, it is apparent that the community is better off in South India than in North India ("Why doesn't the violence against Dalits incite liberal fury, as does violence against Muslims?"). This is partly because English is taught in South India. In the north, Hindi is imposed and English is completely excluded. As a result, modernity is not part of the social discourse in that part of the country. This is ultimately manifested in the bias against Dalits in North India. – Girish Tarwani
You’ve read Scroll.
Now help sustain it
Scroll is funded by readers, not corporate owners. If you believe our work matters, support our newsroom. Become a member today!
We’re not driven by clicks or corporate interests – just honest, independent reporting. Keep us going. Support Scroll today!