Editor,
This has reference to the letter written by D. Bhattacharjee dated October 8, 2025 on the incident of a lawyer flinging his shoes at the CJI B.R.Gavai in the Supreme Court. A PIL was sought by a lawyer to restore a dilapidated statue of the Hindu god Vishnu in one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. While dismissing it as a stunt, Justice Gavai had said in an open court: “Go and ask the deity himself to do something. If you are saying that you are a strong devotee of Lord Vishnu, then you pray and do some meditation. “This statement apparently angered the lawyer and according to the Delhi police, he had carried a chit with him on Monday (October 6) that said “sanatan dharma ka apmaan, nahi sahega Hindustan” (‘India will not tolerate insults to sanatan dharma’) – a slogan that he reportedly also raised in the CJI’s court.
The attack was not on an individual but on the representative of the highest court of the country and on a constitutional position. No mention of this was made by Mr. Bhattacharjee in his letter. Disturbingly there has been no response from the government. The attack was an attempt to insult the Constitution of India. It is by far the most condemnable act targeting the judiciary and one has to register protests against such a repugnant act. After the attack, Justice Gavai continued with his daily court proceedings and said he wouldn’t be fazed by such disruptions. He also decided to not press any charges. Today the issue of religion has become predominant in all discourses of social life: The lawyer has the mendacity to claim — bizarrely — that he had acted to honour “divine instructions”. What is instructive, indeed revealing, is that his shameful act has not been condemned universally: the right-wing ecosystem has made approving noises.
“Sanatan Dharma values tolerance, restraint and pluralism” says Mr. Bhattacharjee. Nothing could be more of a travesty. Hatred is a key term in today’s political environment in India specially against minorities.
Sanatan means timeless or eternal and Dharma in colloquial parlance is religion or even culture and civilisation. So Sanatan Dharma is “timeless civilisation”. Hindutva – a word invented in the 19th century by Chandranath Basu insists it is Sanatan Dharma and therefore does not need reform. In other words, Sanatan Dharma believers believe their customs and practices are timeless, perfect and in no need of reformation. This view denies Hinduism a history, and insists that Vedas existed always, and were not composed between 1500 BCE and 1000 BCE as historians argue. Caste remains an essential ingredient of Sanatan Dharma, if one views Manusmriti that operationalised Sanatan Dharma as timeless and not a 2,000-year-old composition. The phrase used in Manusmriti, as well as in earlier post-Buddhist dharma-shastras, is ‘varna-ashrama-dharma.
Per Mr. Bhattacharjee “Sanatanis may feel compelled to express their discontent more visibly through large street protests civic mobilization”. This innuendo is self-explanatory. By harping on fascistic political religious admonishings, specially targeting the third pillar of democracy, Sanatan dharma and Manuvad, right-wing forces have bred hatred and, consequently, violence. Clashes of the majority religion with the largest minority community have become common — the very recent clash in Cuttack around the immersion of the Durga idol is a case in point. Serious unrest occurred in Bareilly and Murshidabad, and a number of incidents took place in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The Centre for Study of Society and Secularism reported that there was an increase from 32 communal incidents in 2023 to 59 in 2024. Most of these had to do with religious festivals and places of worship. There were 13 mob lynching incidents in 2024: of 11 deaths, nine were members of the minority community. The other kind of violence that has increased is casteist. Violence and physical attacks on Dalits have grown, allegedly most in states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The intersection of majoritarian and casteist prejudice cannot be ignored in the case of the assault on the CJI, who has a Dalit and a Buddhist background. Taken together, this chain of disgraceful incidents is suggestive of the strain on civil co-existence; the shoe thrown at the CJI is symbolic of this breakdown.
It is this shenanigan of the letter written by Mr. Bhattacharjee that condones the incident.
Your etc.,
Kelsang Trinlay,
Shillong – 14
Lawlessness after 8 pm
Editor,
I would like to draw attention to the alarming deterioration of law and order in our city. After 8 p.m., the entire town seems to descend into chaos. Once the traffic police complete their shift, the chances of safely commuting through the city are reduced by half—largely due to reckless overtaking by four-wheelers and the movement of overloaded trucks through urban areas.
Adding to this concern is the increasing presence of drug users in public spaces, particularly around Polo and Police Bazar. While many states have established night-time checkpoints to curb drunk driving, our state appears to take action only after tragedies occur. It is primarily due to such incidents that the Ri Bhoi police have initiated their own checking routine.
When a local DGP was appointed, the community had high hopes that the situation would improve. Unfortunately, the reality seems quite the opposite—conditions have worsened further. I sincerely urge the concerned authorities to take immediate and effective measures before more lives are lost due to this growing lawlessness and administrative neglect.
Yours etc.,
Percy Singh,
Via email
Before another chils is lost
Editor,
The horrific rape and murder of a little girl in Ri-Bhoi have once again shaken us deeply. Each time such an incident occurs, we cry out for justice — and rightly so — yet soon our outrage fades into silence. It is time we reflect gently, not in blame, but in concern: How can we, together, make our world safer for every child?
While the police have acted promptly and the culprit must face the harshest punishment, justice after death is never true justice. The deeper challenge lies in nurturing the moral and emotional soil from which compassion grows. A community that values empathy alongside education and achievement will raise children who respect life and others.
Across our country, there are encouraging examples of how collective awareness can protect the young. In Kerala, panchayats and schools work closely through child protection committees. In Sikkim, counselling and teacher sensitisation form part of education. In Mizoram, community vigilance and faith-based guidance ensure that no child’s cry goes unheard. These practices show what care and cooperation can achieve.
In Meghalaya, too, our close-knit communities, church groups, and teachers’ associations can become strong circles of protection — if we begin early, with love and understanding. Parents can spend more time guiding children gently, while schools can make moral and emotional learning central to their purpose.
Let the tragedy in Ri-Bhoi not fade into memory. Justice must be swift and firm, but the greater act of justice will be when every child grows up in safety, affection, and moral guidance long before danger ever comes near.
Yours etc.,
Jairaj
Tura
