READERS’ FORUM Letters to the Editor Dear Sir,
Dear Sir,
Communal fire flickers through out the country. Every day a new event comes to light. Saharanpur follows Dadri. Kashmir follows suit. When is the mayhem to end? The minority of the country is resigned to acts of violence against members of their community. Innocent people lose their precious lives without any offence.
Renowed ghazal singer Gulam Ali has visited India several times in the past years and has a wide fan following globally. Gulam Ali is much respected by the music fraternity and was invited with the objective of bridging the gap between the two countries.
When litterateurs return their awards as a form of dignified protest, they are sneered at by others. It shows that knowledge, scholars and theologians are treated like dirt. Realistic and learned-men are dismissed by a shrug, as they attempt to unveil the real face of the government and its jingoistic supporters. The bad incident of 28 September shocked the conscience of patriotic citizens in India. Such unfortunate happenings reveal the dark side of democracy in our country. The controversial statements by communal leaders in ruling party sprinkle oil on the fire. It is ironic that our prime minister cannot shed some tears for the sake of country and has not even bothered to utter few words of condolence for the family of the deceased person (Muhammad Akhlaq). However this is the result that great men of letters returning awards to express their sensitivity. In fact this is the threatening to rain on the parade of the ruler’s procession. On the other hand, government officials are threatening them to avoid protests which is the climax of their perverted thinking. The government must draw attention to the police, restore equal justice for all citizens regardless of their name and faith. Ansar Ahmad Purnia, Bihar
Unfortunately, tha action of some political elements in both countries cause a rift in peace and harmony, which cancelled his concert, thereby negatively impacting bilateral ties. These so called 'sons of the soil' put forth a false face of patriotism and do only what benefits them and not the nation. We need educated, open minded leaders so that we can bring about a change by creating awareness of our cultural mutuality. Let us not follow the herd. Let us take initiative and be the change that we want to see. Yusuf Nemat Khan Mumbai
Dear Sir, Every government comes to power with the claim to eradicate poverty but by passing of time they fail to prove their claims by their actions. Citizens are poverty-stricken as they are in need of butter and bread. The poor of the country are forced to embrace death in large numbers. They cannot satisfy their basic wants due to lack of money. Consequently, they lose their precious lives owing to circumstances beyond their control. But unfortunately our government takes no notice. The ruling team pile up taxes after taxes and spend recklessly on their birth days and election campaigns. The current Modi-
49 EASTERN CRESCENT NOVEMBER 2015
led government crossed all boundaries as its ministers miss no chance to spend publics hard-earned money. Our Prime minister himself squandered millions of dollars on his foreign journeys. What is the practical benefit to the poor? Government is not alone in this matter. The year round festivals celebrated by our Hindu brothers led to lavish spending and conspicuous consumption and money is not used for productive purpose ultimately hurting the economy. Why they do not care that the high ranked people of the community, spend for their own satisfaction rather than to earn a religious good. It is good to spend for the sake of God’s pleasure but it is not thoughtless to spend needlessly. Muslims also squander a big amount of money in their festivals and in wedding functions, and as one festival ends and soon enough another begins while the Shariah does not allow it. In spite of that, they raise voices against government to mitigate poverty. If they would not spend large amounts of money in their festivals then it could be productively utilized for helping the poor and some of the remaining money saved, could also help them in future times of distress. I request our respected PM, Mr Modi and all market-enraptured citizens not to weaken country’s economic status, looking at the dire condition of the poorest. They should look for a way to increase the growth of the economy so that the poorest segments of the country may breathe peacefully when prices of essential commodities are reduced and opportunities for jobs, in both rural and urban areas, are available freely. Muhammad Anzar New Delhi