The situation is the opposite of what the honourable Minister portrays (“Books, not bullets in J&K”, August 6). Students don’t have access to 4G Internet and this is especially difficult during a pandemic. Online classes have turned into a joke. The faces of teachers are barely visible and students merely attend classes to mark their attendance. While we welcome the fact that new colleges are being opened in J&K, we request the government to not let the already established set-up crumble.

Baramulla

The Congress needs to wake up to the truth that India rejected it not because it is not a Hindutva party but because it became, over time, a corrupt party with a weak rank and file and with no strong leader, among other things. It also needs to wake up to the fact that the BJP tenaciously clings to its ideology, unlike the Congress which is jettisoning its ideology of secularism, and implements all its promises. The BJP also has a highly committed, though indoctrinated, cadre at the grassroots level, unlike the Congress party.

Instead of introspecting and reworking the functioning of the party, the Congress today is busy attempting to project itself as being “more Hindu” than the BJP. It seems to believe that it can win over the Hindu votebank by doing so, but this isn’t so easy. Mani Shankar Aiyar seems to be saying just that, but will the party listen to him (“Secular fundamentalism in a time of bhoomi pujan”, August 6)?

Hyderabad

Learning seems to be a two-way process in India. While the Congress seems to be gradually adopting the Hindutva agenda of the BJP, the latter is successfully following the political culture of the former by using the Governor’s Office for political gains, by destabilising elected governments, and by concentrating power in the hands of one individual.

Visakhapatnam

Constructing a temple over the debris of a mosque is not an achievement and should not be hailed as the modern symbol of Indian culture or a golden chapter in our history (“Modern symbol of Indian culture: Modi”, August 6). That the BJP government is constructing a Ram temple is no surprise. But the pomp and excessive religiosity displayed at a simple event such as a bhoomi pujan — and that too spearheaded by the Prime Minister — goes against the tenets of the Constitution. It was also unfortunate that the government was celebrating the occasion even as J&K marked an entire year of living without certain rights; there is no Ram Rajya there.

Ramanathapuram