Readers’ comments: ‘Indians never have and perhaps never will understand the concept of free speech’

Speaking up

Indians never have and perhaps never will understand the concept of freedom of speech and expression (“Assam: Congress files complaint after BJP MP allegedly equates ideas of Nehru, Gandhi to ‘garbage’”). Such complaints, made by both the BJP and the Congress in the past, are mostly unfounded and have no backing in law. It is natural for political leaders to speak foul of each other and they should not be booked for every thing they say, unless it is really defamatory in nature. The elitism and partisan attitude shown by the liberals of our society because of their own ideological leanings is sickening at times. As a fellow liberal feel that the discourse of our fundamental principles is now sadly lost in unnecessary ideological noise and the political slug-fest. We want our liberties and freedoms without state telling us what to speak,when to speak and how much to speak. – Akshay Arya

Take a stand

If standing up for the national anthem in movie halls is mandatory, can the government ensure that what is played is proper Anthem
(“Despite Supreme Court comments, you still need to stand for the national anthem in movie theatres”)? Some cinema plays a version of the song that does have Tagore’s lyrics but an altered tune. If changing the design and colour of the national flag is a crime, why is such distortion of the tune of our national anthem being allowed? I do not mind being arrested for not standing up for a song that is not the national anthem of my nation. – Mridula Menon

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Patriotism, just like love and respect for parents, need not be demonstrated. It should be imbibed into the culture and upbringing of children. If you truly want what’s best for the country, stop corrupt leaders from exercising power. – NS Murty

For books’ sake

As a publishing professional myself, I started reading this article with interest (“If you’re wondering how to raise a feminist, Indian publishing houses might have an answer”). I think that independent publishing in India can do wonders, not just with regard to social issues but also with regard to overhauling publishing industry itself. However, this article seemed like a lazy attempt and read more like a promotion of a particular publishing house. What about others? What about other regions? What about vernacular publishing?

I rate Scroll.in very highly and the website provides engaging and informative content. I hope you will exercise more care in the future! – Aakash Chakrabarty

Syncretic roots

Haroon Khalid writes an important piece on a shared past and a composite culture that is being strangled to death on both sides of the border (“These banyan trees are proof of Pakistan’s roots in inter-religious peace and harmony”). May his pen have the strength to make more people aware of what they are losing, have lost. – Kulwinder S Rao

Foreign funds

FCRA laws must be stringent for organisations receiving foreign funds (“‘Aadhaar for NGOs’: Why nonprofits are uneasy about new order to obtain unique ID from Niti Aayog”). Financial transactions of such non-profits should be scrutinised closely and periodically to ensure the judicious utilisation of funds. – Sumitra Sarkar

Shutting shop

It made me very sad to hear about Pune’s Kayani Bakery being asked to shut down (“Pune’s Kayani Bakery, two other restaurants asked to shut down: The Times of India”). The eatery had made the famous “Pune cake” for decades, and is famous all over the world! Instead of letting it close down, the government should step in, look at its contribution to Pune’s culture and help the brand expand internationally. – Alifiya Noble Bandukwala

Bird watching

Several summers ago, when I was holidaying with my family in Sattal near Nainital, we had the privilege of meeting Nitoo (“Why birdwatching and writing poetry are strikingly similar for this poet”). I had my binoculars and Salim Ali’s Book of Indian Birds. I had inherited my love of birds from my father who was a member of the Bombay Natural History Society.

But meeting Nitoo, with her cameras almost as big as she was, was an exhilarating experience. We continue to follow her work. I hope she publishes her photos of birds for the world to see. Hats off to her for her incredible work. – Allan de Noronha

About time

I don’t have any bias against or towards any media person, but sometimes the intent and timing of a certain article are questionable
(“‘Hardly new’, says former NDTV anchor Barkha Dutt after channel takes down Jay Shah story”). For instance, why is Barkha Dutt talking about her reasons for parting with NDTV all this time later? There are many truths about one self, society, government and the media itself that even the most honest report will not reveal in full. Striking a balance is a part of freedom of expression. Moreover, one’s past mistakes always come back to haunt, usually at an inconvenient time. For Dutt, it’s her alleged involvement in the Radia tapes. These are all a part of the games the media and the government play, which viewers end up being easy prey for. – Arun Singh

Ways of seeing

Traditionalism is not the answer to current-day social and psychological problems (“‘Psychology syllabus must be tweaked for Indian context’: UGC panel member Girishwar Misra”). Let each department decide what it wants to focus on and model its courses accordingly. There are different perceptions of psychology even perceived differently by the senior and younger generation psychologists too. We have a tradition of unity in diversity. Uniformity in thinking across the country is not the answer. – Manisha

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I am opposed to the idea of modifying the psychology syllabus to make it culturally relevance for many reasons. Psychology should not be looked at as a subject meant for Indian adaptation but as a course that meets international standards. Cultural adaptations can be made to any course without indigenising it entirely. course. Every psychologist across the world is trained to work with cultural sensitivity. This is perhaps what needs to be emphasised among psychologists in India, if at all it has been observed that they are insensitive to local culture. If psychology courses are completely Indianised, graduates risks being disconnected from a global fellowship of psychologists because there would be no common ground. This would also make it difficult for them to pursue courses abroad. It will also discourage foreign students from coming to study in India. Already, many foreign students are complaining about the fact that many lecturers in India universities use Hindi or other regional languages while teaching even when they have international students in such classes. – Diti Olawale

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A similar exercise was conducted by the UGC about 15 years back. Under its direction, most of the universities adopted model syllabi in a wide range of subjects, including psychology. But the attempt went in vain because there has been a dearth of qualified faculty for in all higher educational institutions particularly, in the state universities, over the the last two decades. If the UGC is genuinely interested in reforms, it must first look into the appointment of qualified full-time teachers. – AK Srivastava