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Letters

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Ultra-nationalism is a cism of the judiciary as that
double-edged sword alone would speak about the
With reference to Tehelka website report awareness of the people. To
“New history, New chemistry being made’: silence criticism is not
PM Modi at ‘Howdy Modi’ event”
(September 23) democracy or a part of the
It is strange that the spon- rule of law. If lawyers who
sors of the mega event in are an integral part of the
Houston, US, “Howdy Modi”, judicial system do not ques-
do not even appear to realise tion it, then who else will
that ultra-nationalism, do it?
which grips some in the Not to do so would be
curiously ambivalent Indian- dereliction on their part. In
American community, is a recent times, there have been
double-edged sword. cases of two judges resigning
One day they could end to protest unjust transfers; in
up facing a backlash from one instance it was a case of
those of their ilk on foreign executive interference which
soil. It appears that the is the real intrusion.
upsurge of populist national- It should not be forgot-
ism in both the US and India ten that some Supreme
in recent times has some- Court Judges themselves
thing to do with this. There questioned decisions by the
is a trend in both countries Supreme Court Collegium.
to push forward narrow and There has to be a nationwide
exclusivist definitions of debate as preservation of
national identity. the Constitution and the
Beyond all this, the rule of law is the need of the
Indian-American com- hour.
munity may also have been NGr Prasad
looking for some kind of
a parity — or an illusion of Leaders should walk their
parity — between the US and talk on climate change
India in getting the two lead- WITCH-HUNTING The words of 16-year-old
ers on a common platform climate activist, Greta
even as the world waits with NEEDS TO STOP Thunberg, at the UN climate
bated breath for the likely summit in New York, that
bi-national ramifications of With reference to Tehelka website report “Assam final NRC list: her dreams and childhood
the meet. Over 19 lakh people excluded” (August 31) had been stolen by the empty
m Jameel ahmed Even as the fate of the 1.9 million left out words of leaders has high-
of the final list of the National Register lighted in a stunning and
candid manner the agony
Questioning can’t be of Citizens in Assam hangs in the balance, of the next generation as
judicial interference a demand by Ministers for a similar far as the climate crisis is
One doesn’t know how far concerned.
the Chief Justice of India exercise in some other States lacks If activist and Nobel win-
was right in reprimanding wisdom. While security concerns merit ner Malala Yousafzai has
lawyers for questioning the risen to become the face of
recent transfer of judges; to segregation of anti-social elements, this children’s education, Greta
say that they are intrusions cannot be an excuse to carry out a witch- is sure to be the champion
does not augur well for the hunt on a communal basis. It is important soon for climate change
institution. Questioning action and a clean environ-
cannot be called judicial to first see how the Assam NRC pans out ment. Wise counsel must
interference. before implementing the exercise in prevail now and global lead-
Justice VR Krishna Iyer ers should walk their
once said that we should other States. talk first.
have enough and more criti- YOGESH AGGArWAl dr dVG saNkararao

Tehelka / 31 october 2019 6 www.Tehelka.com