Readers' comments: 'The genocide of Pandits has killed Kashmiriyat forever'

One for all

This is a great view on the triple talaq debate (“Islam has no conflict with a uniform civil code that provides justice, equality and dignity for all”). Like me, others who aren’t from the Muslim community do not have knowledge about the Quran. Hence, we get guided by the views of men having knowledge of Islam and have no way to verify whether it is right or wrong. – PS Banerjee

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The writer of this article on seems clueless about Islamic knowledge and has written a piece based on fantasy. Can we debate or discuss things with this ignorant writer who has actually misled readers here? – Danish Anwar

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Obviously only such copies find space on the website. Islam-bashing is welcome. Scroll.in, what’s the difference between the mainstream media and you? – Syed Qamar Hasan

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The All India Muslim Personal Law Board are self-appointed representatives of Indian Muslims. In reality, it is just a conglomeration of a few men of no calibre. They are trying to speak on behalf of Muslim women in India before the Supreme Court even though there’s not a single woman in the board. Today’s educated and empowered women are capable of representing themselves and argue their case on their own.

This was amply proven by the way in which women, under the banner Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan came forward to petition the highest court against triple talaq. – KV Abdul Azeez

We the women of Gujarat support our Islamic culture. We do not want anyone to interfere with our religion. We support whatever our religion says about property, marriage, talaq etc. We love our culture with all our hearts.

India is a democratic country we all have the right to follow our religion.

Triple talaq helps many women who are facing harassment by their husbands to separate from them, without waiting for the court to grant divorce. She can get justice easily. – Abdulganinagina

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It is distressing to note that the Muslim clergy is opposed to many things beneficial to the community. They seem to think that holding on to anachronistic practices will help them consolidate their position as leaders of the community. Because of their high handedness and authoritarianism, this coercion has been working.

The same clergy has accepted many modern things but they deny the same privilege to women. Quoting scriptures to discuss a social issue is pointless. – G Ramakrishna

Heart of the matter

This article on triple talaq is well written and tries to include various perspectives, but the core problem is that women are not treated as human beings in most families in small towns and villages (“Women’s rights shouldn’t get lost in the uniform civil code vs personal law debate”).

If our country is really interesting in protecting and upholding women’s rights, we need to involve women from villages and self-help groups in the discourse on women’s rights at the community and family level.

We don’t understand the power of self-help group as most activists that dominate opinion and policy are urban areas. – Nilmani Singh

Kashmir debate

The writer of this article, Onaiza Drabu, conveniently forgets that the Kashmir she is referring to comprises just a few districts of the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir (“Hashtag nationalism: Does Kashmir really love India?”).

The population in these districts is not the entire population of the state.

So what if a school in Srinagar feel that India does not deserve a permanent seat in United Nations Security Council? So what if Independence Day and Republic Day are marked as black days by people of the Kashmir valley? So what if people of they support the team opposing India in a cricket match? People of Jammu and Ladakh do not agree with this view and are with India.

For India to give up its control over the Kashmir valley just because of the so-called two-nation theory. The Indian government has understood clearly that the Kashmir problem is not about dialogue but about establishing an Islamic Caliphate in Kashmir and no nation in the world will support. – Pankaj Srinivasan.

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The genocide of Kashmiri Pandits has killed Kashmiriyat forever – that is, if one were to believe that it at all existed.

The Kashmir issue has become so vital to India and Pakistan’s existence that its resolution will bring peril to the country that loses out. If Kashmir is freed, Indian unity stands threatened because other states will also look to break away. But if India claims control over Pakistan occupied Kashmir, then Pakistan is history.

Only if Kashmiri Muslims rehabilitate Kashmiri Pandits will there will some legitimacy to Kashmiri separatism. – Rajul Sharma

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You have conveniently ignored genocide of Hindus in the Valley.

To me Islamic Ideology is the real invader of our lands and not the other way around. – Deep

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I have a few points in response to this “opinion” piece. Kashmir, in fact, must love and integrate with India. This is because Kashmir is too dependent on its neighbours to survive independently. Also, all non-Muslims from the state would be happy to integrate with Indians.

Kashmir might devolve into a second Balochistan under Pak rule.

Be smart Kashmir, India is your nurturing, sheltering, supporting guardian and parent that can and will turn you into its crown jewel! – Ravi Bemra

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This is a balanced article and reflects the views of the Valley. As an Indian citizen, though, I do wonder why there is so much hatred for India given that the government has been so liberal towards the people of Kashmir. But I do agree that ways must be found out to assuage the anti-India sentiment in the Valley. I hope wiser counsel prevails and the situation normalises soon so that children can go back to school. – SN Singh

Maha gaffe

Everybody knows how the Shiv Sena grew in erstwhile Bombay – it was a combination of high-decibel regionalism, aggression and protection money (“When a chief minister facilitates extortion in the name of public sentiment”). Though Uddhav Thackeray kind of broke the mould, Bal Thackeray’s nephew, MNS’ Raj Thackeray, is his carbon copy – with just a lower vote share.

What is surprising, however, is how the chief minister of Maharashtra shamelessly arranges a meeting in his house of the stakeholders and lets Raj Thackeray decide the outcome of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’s release – and the chief minister even endorses the Rs 5-crore payout.

Everybody knows such deals are brokered by politicians for gains but this was too blatant and unscrupulous. To use the Army’s name for this is degrading the honour of the military. – Lalitha

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The government should impose an additional nationalism tax. When there so many taxes are there, an additional tax will not pinch the citizens’ pocket. – Quamar Ashraf

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This is a superb article and spoke my mind. I’d just like to add that India has one crore laws and even if someone complies with them all, there is no guarantee that they will live in piece. Because there are also the other set of legislation – those drafted and imposed by culture and people’s sentiments, which change as per the convenience of the people’s representatives. – Sameer

Change of guard

Whatever the reason behind Cyrus Mistry’s ouster may be, I feel that Ratan Tata is the ideal leader for the Tata Group (“No one knows why Cyrus Mistry got removed as Tata’s chairman (but here are four theories)”). He is still active and his age doesn’t show on him. Plus, internationally, so many heads of corporations are much older than him.

Laughing matter

This satirical article is unfunny, laboured and tedious – unworthy of Scroll.in (“The first man on the moon was a Muslim warrior and other facts that India, Pakistan have been hiding”).

But it makes one wonder about the dichotomy in the Pakistani world of letters: how is it that their novelists are so accomplished, but their journalists such illiterates? – Anvar Alikhan

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Hilarious! It’s humorous and makes a mockery of trolls. – Rajratna Jadhav

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I regret that I spent 10 minutes of my life that I will not get back on this article.

May inconsequential traits like reason and meaning Rest in Peace. Hail the great civilisation. I am dumbstruck. – Pardeep Singh

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This is a brilliant example of satire. Please keep it up. – Srinivas

Military debate

Questioning the military is fine and should be done, but denigrating the armed forces, especially the soldiers, who are not the decision makers, is unacceptable (“Far from being anti-national, it is a patriotic duty to question the military”).

It is wrong of armchair strategists and incompetent intellectuals to question the patriotism and actions of soldiers working to defend our country. – MVK

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This is very well-written article but you seem to have confused issues. The My Lai massacre and government-approved surgical strikes are like chalk and cheese.

Yes, no army should be beyond the purview of question for its conduct. But the examples that you have given are more applicable to the IAS lobby in the Ministry of Defence than to the services.

Knowingly or otherwise, are playing into the hands of those who do not want our armed forces to be effective. Whichever it may be, it is very dangerous.

People are baying for the army’s blood in Jammu and Kashmir and over the special powers act. Why is the army required there? We have a very large and powerful Central Armed Police Forces commanded by very capable IPS officers. This should be adequate and the army should be pulled back from the state. – AK Singh

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Go on, question the Indian army – because that is secularism, according to the liberal intolerant brigade. – Prasad

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I appreciate your views but I have a counter. We have always been allowed to question the wrongdoings of an Army officer, such as leak of strategic data and corruption charges.
But questioning the surgical strike which was announced nationally by the director-general of military operations is definitely anti-national.

And you are comparing the Indian army with that of Pakistan’s which has a history of coups, or China, where you cannot even question your government, leave alone the army?

There’s a big difference between the US’ war crimes in Vietnam and our army fighting terrorism to protect us. Question the army – but sensibly. – Akshay Aggrwal

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Intelligence agencies throughout the world should also be questioned. The Iraq War serves as an example of why that should be done. – Saleem Ali

Standing guard

This is a wonderful write-up and our soldiers are suffering at our cost (“Indian Army can take care of the border. Can we take care of the Army?”). I salute the people who safeguard us night and day, even though we forget to spare even a moment to thank them. Shame on us.

Why do they have poor and outdated equipment? What are the DRDO and the defence ministry doing? – Nirmala Arjun

Tolerance debate

Does the common man even know what intolerance is (“Intolerance is a curse we are seeing of late, says Ratan Tata”)? The arrival of technology and the growth of social media has allowed us to say whatever comes to our minds. Some of our intellectuals term this as intolerance. Sadly, they ignore the fact that this scenario exists everywhere in the world and has been a problem ever since race, religion, casteism and other divisions were created.

As powerful people, why don’t you try to do something to reduce inequality, eradicate poverty and educate us to think global? Someone as respected as Ratan Tata doesn’t need to prove his excellence by reducing things to words like intolerance. He has done lots of good for the country. He has inspired generations. That word is not understandable to common man like me. – Srinivas

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Intolerance and hatred is a curse on the nation. India has moved far away from the principles of its founding leaders, like Mahatma Gandhi.

Seventeen years after Christian missionary Graham Staines and his sons were burnt to death in Odisha, the state is still paying the price for its intolerance, with about 10 districts ruined by cyclone and drought. – KV Zachariah

Trade ties

Both China and India want to make Nepal there trade centre. If they invest even $10 in Nepal, they want 10 times the gains from the country (“It’s complicated: The China factor in India-Nepal relationship”). They claim to be doing it for the development of Nepal but that’s not the case. – Vivek Koirala

Praying for Amma

It is so sad that our chief minister has to undergo this ordeal after such spectacularly coming back to power in this year’s state elections (“Tamil Nadu: Jayalalithaa responding ‘remarkably’ to treatment, says Apollo Hospital chairman”).

She must have neglected her health for some time and this must be a result of being overworked and physical and mental exhaustion for the welfare of the people. I hope and pray she recovers and takes back the reins of the state. In the present scenario, no other political party is fit enough to run the show. – Samuel Chandrasekaran

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Because of the failure of national parties to make an impact in Tamil Nadu, regional parties emerged as a one-man show.

Jayalalithaa has charisma, which is what makes her so popular. Moreover, the common man doesn’t care about the party – he votes for the leader who distributes the most freebies. That is why Tamil Nadu leads the country on this count.

Jaya is the most charismatic and clever leader and I hope she assumes office at the earliest, which is the prayer of many. – Narasimhan S Chakravarthy

Musical memories

What a well-written piece, or should I say tribute (“What links Bob Dylan and Carnatic music?”).

I grew up in Chennai, sang in the school choir and listened to Carnatic music legends. I then moved to pop hits on the Madras 2 radio and then moved westwards – with this article, life seems to have come full circle! The impact of John Higgins on the one hand and Bob Dylan’s path breaking music and lyrics on the other cannot be stated enough. – Anuradha Ramkumar

Curbing dissent

This is the beginning of India’s journey towards becoming a fascist state (“Jharkhand: Tribal farmer killed in police firing in Khunti”). Police atrocities on adivasis are far too common in Jharkhand and Chattisgarh – both BJP-ruled states.

Protest against a repressive govt is not an offence.

People have the right to demand their rights to protection of their land, which had been guaranteed by the Constitution. So why this repression? – Onkar Singh

Caste prejudice 

The reports on the Maratha agitation in Maharashtra published on Scroll.in are tremendously prejudiced and biased (“Supporting caste: A peek at the massive machine behind the enormous Maratha rallies”).

This is not journalism, this is opinion mixed with prejudice.

The people the writer chose to spoke to – like Shravan Deore, purportedly an OBC leader – does not represent even OBCs, leave alone Dalits. The rally in Nashik was held by Chagan Bhujbal’s supporters.

The banners, pamphlets all said Bhujbal Support Rally.

It’s a blatant misuse of a platform like Scroll.in to incite Dalits and OBCs against Maratha rallies.

And before you might judge me from my affiliation to any ideology or organisation, I’m a member of OBC community. – Vinit Wankhede

Sad state of affairs

This is not the first that Raj Thackeray and the MNS have exhibited such jingoistic patriotism and it won’t be the last either (“’I served for four decades, never lived on extorted money’: Outrage over MNS using Army for politics”).

The man has made a career out of being a thug in the political sphere. But it’s the actions of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis that are most alarming. How can the democratically elected leader of an Indian state broker such a deal? His job is to maintain law and order, not assist with extortion attempts.

Some will say that the negotiations were necessary to maintain law and order, but this is far from the truth. Any chief minister worth his salt would have taken action against Thackeray while assuring that a legitimate businessman’s ventures would go on unaffected by crony nationalism.

Is the appeasement of Raj Thackeray part of the BJP’s ploy to have the MNS as its key ally, instead of the Shiv Sena? One can’t say, but the only thing that is certain is that this incident will be yet another blemish in Fadnavis’ already tainted record. – Ranjan Mukerjee.

Cow politics

Is this the India that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been talking about and promising to people (“WhatsApp beef arrest: Family of Muslim man who died in police custody demands justice”). It’s fabulous indeed.

Thanks to Scroll.in for highlighting this. – Fazal Kamal

Right to write

We in Asia lead a dual life – there is hypocrisy in everything, be it our personal lives, our cultural values or our religious beliefs (“The strange case of Taslima Nasrin and authors who spearheaded the ban of her autobiography”).

We hide our uglier side and try, albeit unsuccessfully, to present ourselves, our society, our culture and even our religion as neat, clean, pure and blemish-free.

When I came to the US a few hours ago, I too carried a false sense of pride and superiority about our culture. I thought everyone here is a sinner, selfish, irreligious and driven by sex.

But I realised how wrong I was. The society is open and sees things the way they are. Even a small child is taught to speak the truth and boldly, at that, before their elders, teachers and the authorities that be.

Bold, brave and forthright, Taslima Nasreen is a complete departure of the so-called values of the East and hence the cruel and depraved criticise her work. We do not teach our kids civic sense, mental liberation and how to be them good members of society and good human beings. – KK Vadhera

Great show

Kirk Douglas is one of the last all-time greats (“Thespian, gambler and time traveller: the remarkable 100-year run of Kirk Douglas”).

If it wasn’t for a stroke, he would have still been acting and would have been great as ever. I would love to meet him someday. What a fantastic man. If you’re reading, Kirk, Gary Boone from Norwalk would love to sit down and talk. Thanks for all the movies. – Gary Boone