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Letters
LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM
No one is more equal the law. It is important for the
special report Few changes will make new Press Bill more media Friendly 10 than others in India BJP leadership to address the
With reference to the report “India boils over
issue emerging discontent. At the
26 CAA” by Mudit Mathur (December 20)
Volume 16 The new citizenship law holds same time, student unions
New Delhi are advised to be careful and
the mirror to the face of today’s
India. It is not an overstatement ensure that their protests are
to say that it is premised on the not hijacked by vested political
Orwellian notion that ‘some interests.
people are more equal than oth- MS KHOKHAR
ers’. But, it goes against the prin-
ciple of equality unambiguously The Citizenship Ammendment
affirmed in the Constitution and Bill (CAB) is a wrong decision.
People of all religions and com-
sits ill with Article 14.
Parliamentary majority is no munities have lived in India
licence to make laws in con- since years. Then why this dif-
ferentiation now? Why are our
INDIA BOILS OVER CAA travention of the Constitution. political parties always trying to
Student community across the country has come on the streets to express solidarity Phrases such as ‘reasonable
classification’ and ‘intelligible
against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 12 divide India on the basis of reli-
differentia’ cannot rationalise a gion? Our Constitution does not
www.tehelka.com www.facebook.com/tehelka www.twitter.com/tehelka discriminate people on religious
blatantly discriminatory law. grounds.
To our profound sadness, the Ours is a secular country and
DEATH PENALTY new law shakes the foundations one should not bring religion
of India as a secular democ-
FOR MUSHARRAF racy, negates everything that into the picture for granting
citizenship. Civil society should
the Independence movement
stood for and cheats the ideals oppose the bill.
With reference to the report “Conviction of Musharraf may lead to propounded by the founding JUBEL D’CRUZ
genuine democracy in Pakistan” by Gopal Misra (December 20)
The decision to award death fathers. Sad to say, the wider After passing of Citizenship
society does not oppose the
penalty to former Pakistani law passionately, but leaves it Amendment Bill by both Houses
of the Parliament, the Union
dictator Pervez Musharraf for to those who would be directly ministries should direct PSUs to
affected to protest.
treason is perhaps the most G DAVID MILTON utilise the available CSR funds
significant decision by the for comfortable living and
rehabilitation of Hindu mi-
Pakistan judiciary in recent While the protesters should grants from Pakistan and other
have remained peaceful, there
years. is no doubt that the police re- countries.
Religious bodies and NGOs
In a country that has seen sponse was excessive and its ac- should also take appropriate
tion unacceptable. For the police
coups, and was ruled directly to march into Jamia premises steps to help these refugees.
However, the Central govern-
by the military for over three without permission and force ment should simultaneously
decades in total, it will not be students to walk out to engage take steps to ensure that the
in a lathicharge was beyond the
easy for the military to accept standard operating procedure. passing of the CAB does not
result in large-scale fleeing
This police highhanded-
the harsh verdict. ness has alienated the student of Hindus from Pakistan and
He was indicted in 2014 on a community not only in Jamia, Bangladesh.
total of five counts, and it is the but also across many universi- SUBHASH CHANDRA AGRAWAL
first time in Pakistan’s history ties in India. Students have to Demonstrations against the
be treated as students, and their
that an army chief has been tried institutes as spaces where stu- CAA are worrisome. While the
government is content with the
and found guilty of treason. dents have the right to express provisions of the Act, agitators
freely. An inquiry commission
GREGORY FERNANDES must investigate police excesses have their apprehensions.
and take strict action against In the interest of the people,
those officials who went beyond both sides should condescend
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