Jahangirpuri eviction
I dread to imagine how this country is going to be in another decade. If we go through the pages of history of most of the cases of sectarian violence and strife, the root cause can usually be traced to the destruction of basic rights. The ‘eviction drive’ in Jahangirpuri appears to have also demolished most legal procedures. That the authorities continued their actions despite orders passed by the Supreme Court of India is shocking. Unless politicians stop playing the religion card, the nation will never grow or have peace.
T. Anand Raj,
Chennai
One expects that the Delhi administration will immediately start the process of rebuilding the lives of those affected before the humanitarian crisis deepens further. While the Supreme Court will go into the legality of the entire operation, questions are being asked — and rightly so — as to why encroachments/ illegal constructions elsewhere, particularly in affluent areas, are not being targeted by the civic bodies. What is most intriguing too is the complete silence of the Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal.
S.K. Choudhury,
Bengaluru
It is saddening that the top court in the country had to be alerted, and later intervened twice, to halt the eviction drive. Illegal constructions, undoubtedly, need to be removed. But the timing, scale and swiftness of the operation in Delhi are suspect especially when the civic body did not deem it necessary to uproot these structures all these years. The insensitive and retrograde action will further widen the gulf between communities.
V. Johan Dhanakumar,
Chennai
It is hypocritical on the part of the municipal authorities concerned to show alacrity in tearing down structures linked to many livelihoods when brazen unauthorised encroachment by certain powerful elements can be seen protected all over the city. The inhuman action also exemplifies the dangers of an administration that is neither answerable to the people nor to the Constitution or the rule of law. Lastly, the Supreme Court of India must make an example of the absolute contempt shown by the authorities and the illegality of their action. It should start by imposing costs on the officials concerned to compensate for the losses suffered by many.
Firoz Ahmad,
New Delhi
On Ayurveda
Traditional medical systems such as Ayurveda have vast untapped potential in serving primary health-care needs. But this potential can be leveraged if these are approached and adapted scientifically. Enhancing their evidence-based character would first require divesting them of the obviously outdated notions of physiology and pathology they contain. The Ayush Ministry and its academic centres appear to be blissfully ignorant of this long-pending reform.
Dr. G.L. Krishna,
Bengaluru
