The arrested activists have been labelled as “urban Naxals” and “Maoists”, but it is still not clear what the charges are against them (“SC allows rights activists to remain under house arrest”, August 30). This seems like a move to turn our attention away from other issues. An assassination plot against the Prime Minister is an extremely serious matter that should be painstakingly investigated, not bandied about on television in order to score political points.
M.U. Qasmi,
Mumbai
It has become fashionable to condemn the arrests of activists and compare the situation now to the Emergency. No government would take steps like this unless there are reasons for doing so. The government must be conscious of the fact that if no grounds for arrest are ultimately proved, it will cut a very sorry figure. Intellectualism is no virtue if it is used to incite violence.
V. Lakshmanan,
Tirupur
Our faith in the judiciary has only increased with Justice D.Y. Chandrachud saying, “Dissent is the safety valve for democracy. If dissent is not allowed, democracy will burst under pressure.” It is hoped that the apex court will continue to protect individual freedoms and liberty.
M.F.U. Tandvi,
Delhi
The purpose of levelling terrorism charges against prominent anti-establishment voices, including lawyers, is to intimidate actual or potential critics and ensure that they remain silent. As the 2019 elections draw near, a new narrative is being fostered — of an enemy within who is not just against the government, but against the nation itself. This tactic has been used effectively in the past by dictatorial regimes, which equate criticism of the government with treason, and use fear and anxiety to overwhelm the electorate. That is what the present establishment is attempting to do. As a liberal, constitutional democracy which allows all manner of opinions to bloom, India cannot afford its founding principles to be undermined in this manner.
M.A. Rasheedi,
Jalaun