It is reassuring that the Supreme Court of India has cracked the whip, asking two States to act against the spread of communal hatred (Page 1, April 27). Vitriolic speeches on a raft of sensitive issues by fanatics, communal elements, religious bigots and others have assumed menacing proportions across the country. There is also tacit support by some political parties and entities with dubious credentials, emboldening them to violate the rule of law with impunity. The government at the Centre and in the States should wake up to the reality. Polarising society for selfish ends will only end in disaster.
V. Johan Dhanakumar,
Chennai
The blanket silence of the Centre and the absence of any punitive action so far by some State governments have emboldened those who are spreading hate. Religious or political leaders who indulge in a game of pitting one community against the other are not followers of any ‘dharam’. There is a need for intelligence-led policing to round up the offenders. The dictum, “prevention is better than cure”, applies to the task of dealing with hate crimes and communal hate.
N. Rama Rao,
Chennai
Offer declined
At last the Congress party is not going to become a Congress (I-Pac) party (Inside pages, April 27). The grand old party cannot outsource its reins to the strategist and wait for the results, while Prashant Kishor cannot afford to lose his political business and brand value by sticking to only one party. The Congress party must know that it does not need any superhero to rescue it from a self-created mess. It only needs a dedicated ground-level worker who needs clear directions from a committed and trusted leader. Both should go to the people after proper homework. There is no use in wasting time in searching for quick fixes or depending on tips from external sources. The party should rise on its own anyway.
Dr. D.V.G. Sankararao,
Nellimarla, Andhra Pradesh
The French election
The victory of the incumbent French President was a foregone conclusion, and the only factor worth tracking was the difference in the victory margin. Two interesting features of the French election emerge: in the first, Marine Le Pen accepted her defeat with humility. Second during the course of the electioneering, each party did strive to co-opt voters by way of reasonable and achievable manifestos . This is a textbook case of how elections are contested in a democracy. Hopefully, this triumph shall provide more adrenaline rush and Emmanuel Macron will live up to the billing of voters.
Deepak Singhal,
Noida, Uttar Pradesh
