Language matters a lot, Mr Modi

The new three-language policy was scrapped by the Devendra Fadnavis government because the pushback from the people of Maharashtra was so strong. This, in effect, means that learning Hindi is now not compulsory in the primarily Marathi-speaking State. Learning a third language stipulated in the new education policy, for all practical purposes, means learning Hindi despite all the obfuscation. The three-language policy is a ploy to introduce Hindi in a subtle manner. Mindful of the fact that language is a highly emotive issue and a political minefield, the central government ought not to have attempted to bring in Hindi through the back door. People are intelligent enough to see through its game. It is a fallacy to say that uniformity is a sine qua non for unity. The worst of it all is that the government is testing the non-Hindi speaking people’s love of their mother tongue and culture and their will to resist by imposing Hindi on them and attempting a sort of insidious cultural invasion. Hindi is only one of the many Indian languages and knowing or speaking it is no determinant of one’s Indianness. The attempt to substitute English with Hindi as the lingua franca is bound to flounder and fail in the pluralist India with space for all languages, religions, ethnicities and cultures. The Narendra Modi government should change its world view and its language policy.

G David Milton, Maruthancode (TN)

Only the nameless suffer during stampedes

Stampedes have become a tragic ritual in India. Successive governments, be it the BJP or Congress, follow the same tired script. “Arrangements were perfect, but the crowd was larger than expected.” Then come the token gestures: suspend a few junior officials, announce compensation, and move on. Religion is now a hyper-commercialised spectacle. Even Lord Jagannath might struggle to make sense of it. Ironically, it’s never the VIPs or organizers who suffer—only the nameless, faceless devotees.

N Nagarajan, Hyderabad

Prioritise public safety

No celebration should end in tragedy. The Puri Mahaprabhu Jagannath Rath Yatra stampede, which claimed three lives and injured 50, highlights the need for effective crowd management. This tragic incident was a result of negligence, mismanagement and the alarming absence of police personnel at the time of the stampede. Despite advanced technology, crowd safety remains a concern. Authorities must prioritise public safety and implement strategies to prevent such tragedies, as seen in devastating religious congregation incidents like Hathras (121 lives), Kumbh Mela (36), and other similar incidents. To prevent such incidents, thorough risk assessments and crowd management plans must be put in place. Emergency response teams should be deployed, and communication systems should be established. The government and event organizers must work together to ensure public safety. Ultimately, safety of the people should be the top priority.

Ganti Venkata Sudhir, Secunderabad

Punish officials for stampedes

The gross neglect of security arrangements and administrative supervision over the proceedings has become a common factor when it comes to stampedes and deaths in India! The Puri incident on Sunday is the second major stampede this month with Bengaluru accounting for the first on June 4. Overall, from the six major stampedes this year the officially declared deaths stand at 80, including during the Maha Kumbh mela and at New Delhi railway station. All incidents occurred because of poor security arrangements and lack of proper plans for crowd control/management. Whenever such incidents occur, the concerned state governments announce ex-gratia to the bereaved families and wash their hands off the responsibility for the incident. Additionally, the concerned officials are suspended and/or transferred pending enquiry. What exactly happens afterwards is never made public and even if a report is made from the inquiry, no specific action takes place against the erring officials, or the administration concerned. This decadent system should change once and for all.

Govardhana Myneedu, Vijayawada