• Answering readers’ questions in ‘‘Firing Line’’, Meira Kumar makes a very strong case for continuing reservations, pleading that empowerment of SCs and STs is still incomplete. However, since 1947, much has been done for them but the communities have not exploited the opportunities. On the other hand, there are some members who have reaped the benefits of reservations and moved up, both socially and financially. Yet, they will continue to avail the opportunities though they no longer need the advantage.Group Captain A G Bewoor• If any person — whether male or female — is capable, nobody can stop them from doing well. So where is the need for reservations, especially in the private sector? Mahesh Kapasi• I certainly don’t agree with Meira Kumar’s statement that ‘‘Empowerment of SC/STs is still incomplete and reservations have to continue’’. I also do not agree with ‘‘reservations in the private sector’’, as this will adversely affect the performance of good companies. It is time the special privileges were abolished. Only merit should count, whether in education or employment. What is needed today is a reservation policy based purely on economic status. Otherwise those living below the poverty line will continue to do so.S Krishna Kumar• Tavleen Singh’s column, ‘‘To win the war, first identify the enemy’’, is at best nauseating. Every individual should condemn the horror in Beslan perpetrated by faceless terrorists, as they should condemn the continuing genocide in Palestine and Chechnya and the war for oil in Iraq perpetrated by ‘‘responsible’’ elected democracies. It is disquieting to note that such a partial, ill-researched article should find space in your esteemed daily. Now, I understand how the Jews felt when the Nazi intellectuals started demonising their people and religion just before the Holocaust. I hope Tavleen is not searching for the ‘‘final solution’’ herself.Dr Faiz Ahmad• Tavleen Singh’s column is a sweeping condemnation of Islam and Muslims. Tavleen loves to hate. It is Sonia one week, Muslims the next. But in her last column, she has crossed all limits. I am surprised a responsible newspaper like The Indian Express has published such jaundiced views. It is in line with V S Naipaul’s recent comment that all those countries who ‘‘sponsor terrorism’’ must be destroyed. Just as it is wrong to blame all Hindus for the post-Godhra riots, it is wrong to blame all Muslims for the Beslam massacre. All decent people, whether Muslims, Christians or Hindus, condemn the brutalities inflicted on the Beslan children. If we are honest, we should also condemn Putin for continuously inflicting the same horrors on Chechnya’s women and children for the past five years.J S Bandukwala• Tavleen Singh, while demonstrating her animosity towards the Muslim community as usual, crosses the line between a well-informed debate and unfounded criticism. She demonstrates her basic ignorance of a world religion as well as Indian culture. She fails to make a distinction between Islam, which is a religion, and its followers, the Muslims. Her statement — ‘‘Something terrible has happened to Islam and nobody needs to admit this more than Muslims’’ — is in extremely bad taste, bordering on Right wing babble. It is true that something terrible has happened, but to Muslims, not to Islam. She also seems to have failed to notice the widespread condemnation of the Beslan incident by Muslims all over and tries to mix issues — from Beslan, Chechnya to Saudi Arabia, Muslims in Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. Her fears that Muslim women in South India, or even in Rajasthan, adopting a dress code of salwar kameez as a sign of extremism, is absolutely flawed logic. Also, Muslim men favouring a beard does not threaten the country in any way. Nor does a dhoti-clad, tilak-sporting Hindu. It also does not behove a national daily of your stature, which is known for speaking the truth and espousing liberal values, to give space to something which is not only in bad taste but also very biased, bordering on insulting a religion which she clearly does not appear to have any understanding about.Zuber Gopalani• It was refreshing to read Tavleen Singh’s column. I was under the impression that our national English dailies do not dare to call a spade a spade when it comes to the Muslims.R Venkatanarayanan• It is true that Islam today is a religion that is not at peace with anyone in the world, and the cancer inside is spreading rapidly. We cannot go on favouring Muslims as a ‘‘deprived and oppressed minority’’ when they are the most vocal and the most pampered community in India. Not a single Muslim country provides financial aid for ‘‘Haj’’, but India does. Why are Christians, Sikhs and Parsis not given similar benefits?Parag KaleWrite to yourvoice@expressindia.com
