Editor,
This letter is in response to Salil Gewali’s letter titled, “Dangerous agenda and propaganda” (ST December 28, 2019). Gewali has labeled the people of West Bengal to be of a “corrosive nature.” How can the writer dare make such a sweeping character assassination of Bengal or Bengalis! What Gewali has done can be aptly defined by only one term —- STAUNCH RACISM. With such a poisonous stance against Bengal and Bengalis (just because the secular and humanitarian land of Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam has succeeded in keeping BJP at bay), how can Gewali call himself a “nationalist?” Or is it his perception that “corrosive” Bengalis are not part of this nation?
Gewali should be enlightened of the fact that we are extremely proud of our “corrosive” Bengal which does not indulge in communal pogrom (remember Gujarat 2002!), demolition of historical mosque, murder of innocents in the name of “Gomata” or annihilation of intellectuals and rationalists who dare to speak in favour of secularism! In contrast all right thinking secular humanitarian Indians are witnessing with alarm and horror and with their heads hanging in shame at what is happening in the backyard of BJP-ruled states and the quality of “Good Days” in “New India!” Also we have seen and are seeing insensitive handling of NRC-CAA related protests in BJP-ruled states of Assam Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh!
As far as his stance against Sujit De’s opinion is concerned, Gewali has every right to counter him. Gewali might not believe in the freedom of speech of the “anti-national” “corrosive” Bengalis who dare to question his political and religious masters, but we i.e. the true democratic Indians definitely respect the freedom of expression of the likes of Gewali. But he should have countered Sujit De with facts and logic and argued in a civilized, sane tone. Gewali does not hold any moral democratic or Constitutional right to launch such a personal attack against Sujit De. However in the environment of “Good Days”, secular Indians have got habituated to such personal abuses, courtesy the Bhakts who do not have logic and tolerance enough to counter or even hear opinions which run contrary to those imposed by the saffron camp!
Salil Gewali has attacked Sujit De for his invocation of Swami Vivekananda in the context of the Rohingya issue. Gewali and the saffronites also dare to take the name of this great humanitarian sage. How can they treat Vivekananda so selectively! Do the saffronites, paying lip service towards Vivekananda(surely to invoke Hindu sentiments) know that not only was he an epitome of communal harmony with an all-embracing attitude towards the whole humanity transcending caste religion and country, but also a staunch critic of Hinduism plagued with rampant casteism, untouchability and umpteen other sins!
Lastly, as a native indigenous to Bengal, (perhaps Sujit De is also one) I am extremely moved to witness so much concern by a person from distant Meghalaya towards the “corrosive” Bengalis like us! Let me humbly enlighten Gewali that if native indigenous Bengalis are concerned about any group, then it is the flag-bearers of Hindutva who are importing seeds of communalism from North and West India in Bengal and promoting alien festivals like Ramnavami and Hanuman Jayanti with vulgar display of swords and muscle giving birth to many incidents of communal mayhem in various parts of Bengal specially dominated by the migrant communities. It is this “philosophy” of “Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan” which is proving detrimental to the secular legacy of Bengal nurtured carefully through centuries by the likes of Lalon Fakir, Tagore, Nazrul to Syed Mujtaba Ali. True Bengalis cannot afford to promote this brand of Hindutva which is against the values and ethics of Tagore, Vivekananda, Netaji. Also as true Indians, we cannot afford to patronise those whose ideals stand in exactly the opposite pole of Gandhi, Nehru, and Ambedkar to mention a few.
Yours etc.,
Kajal Chatterjee,
Kolkata – 114
Onion prices go through the roof
Editor,
Retail onion prices are going through the roof and onion is available throughout the country but at exorbitant prices. In Kolkata retail price of onion is Rs 120 per kg, in Delhi Rs.102, Mumbai and Chennai Rs 80 and in Kochi Rs.120. In most cities, onion prices were ruling at Rs.100 per kg. In Itanagar, the onion price shot up to Rs. 150 per kg. The prices will remain high till January end next year. Only a substantial increase in domestic arrivals of the crop can help ease onion prices in the local markets where average wholesale prices are still ruling at Rs 60-70 per kg.
Onion prices have shot up sharply due to estimated 25 percent fall in kharif production of 2019-20 year (July-June) compared to the previous year because of late monsoons and eventual excess rains in the major onion producing states. Despite various measures taken to contain onion prices by the government like banning export of onion, imposing stock limits on traders, supplying buffer stock at a cheaper rate, the prices have failed to come down. Traders and experts are of the view that onion prices will continue to remain firm till January when late kharif crop will start hitting the market.
Now people are being forced to pay through their noses to buy onion, and the fact that people still have to continue buying onion at exorbitant prices is highly disturbing. Family budgets have already been upset and people have to suffer inordinately. However, imported onions have started arriving and are being sold at Rs.65-80 per kg across the country, but on the price front there is no great relief still. Both red and yellow onions have been imported from Turkey, Egypt and Afghanistan.
If the government had imported onion a bit earlier exactly when the shortage was being felt, the price of onions would not have gone through the roof upsetting the family budget. Now people have to suffer for the lapses on the part of the government in containing the price hike of onion.
Yours etc.,
TK Nandanan,
Via email
Controversial Governor
Editor,
Meghalaya’s Governor-on-leave (as he would like to define his present status), Tathagata Roy, has given an extensive interview to a national daily about a host of issues springing from the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He is photographed holding the soil of Bangladesh in a bottle and stating that the soil is where he was born. It is acceptable that a person would have an emotional connect to the land of his birth. But what is tendentious about his views are that he labels all those who are protesting against the CAA across the country as “waging a war against the state,” and further justified the death of protestors saying, “When people try to wage war against the country some casualties are inevitable.” This is extremely insensitive and justifies the death of four people in Assam on account of the anti-CAA protest.
Secondly, he feels that the CAA having been passed by Parliament should set all matters at rest and that people no longer have the right to protest against it. This is what is called riding on brute majoritarianism, in that the party with a majority in both houses of parliament can push through even the most unconstitutional bill. Is the Governor the custodian of the Indian Constitution or is he the spokesperson of the BJP-RSS out to defend the Party and Government? This is a new low in the role of Governors appointed by the NDA Government. They reveal the mindset of those who have been carefully chosen to head these gubernatorial posts after 2014.
One Governor had to leave Meghalaya in disgrace. This one shoots his mouth off through his twitter handle. He did the same in Tripura too and offended the indigenous people there. He is trying to do the same in Meghalaya. This is not acceptable to the people of Meghalaya.
Yours etc.,
TR Mawlong,
Via email