The recent statement by the Chief Justice of India, that the government is not following the orders of the Court, is unprecedented in a constitutional democracy. This is itself disastrous for democracy as the Constitution has the distinction of implementing the orders of the Supreme Court under Articles 141, 142 and 144. Needless to state, the Supreme Court has, under those Articles, sufficient powers to see that its orders are enforced. It is their restraint that has led to the present situation.
Far from lamenting over the government not implementing its orders, the top court should turn the question on its side. Therein lies the answer. The spirit of majoritarianism of the present government without any constitutional direction has given rise to this situation. Will have to fix it. And it’s not too late.
Chennai
‘Monetization of public property’ runs the risk of ultimately putting more money in the hands of a select few in the country. In fact these buyers are certain to only use the assets in the businesses that are best suited for them. It can also lead to covert transmission by buyers of such property who may ‘sublet’ such property or properties to others on a permanent basis over which the Government of India will have virtually no control. If the businesses of these buyers fail due to several global causes of depression, there is a possibility that banks and financial institutions may face difficulties.
The Indian government should tread carefully by creating a regulatory framework so that private players do not exploit consumers by charging irrational charges in airports, railways or road utility projects. Transparency should be ensured in monetization of assets.
Ludhiana, Punjab
There are many who would agree with the views of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu about the consequences of blindly opposing Hindi. Apart from being spoken and understood in many states, Hindi is one of the easiest languages to learn. When I came to Vrindavan-Mathura from Chennai, I found myself in trouble, as I was unable to communicate in Hindi. Undoubtedly I managed to remove the obstacle by getting a fair amount of spoken Hindi for children’s serials to watch! Let us look at this issue of learning Hindi with an open mind.
Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh
Teacher’s Day has passed on 5th September, which is also the birthday of scholar-politician Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
There is another tall Indian, admired for his oratory and command over the English language, who deserves recognition – VS. Srinivasa Shastri whose birthday falls on 22nd September.
Both the sons of India did their share of praise for our country.
Srinivasa Shastri left his mark in the Round Table Conferences. He was a spitting image of the scribe Demosthenes, he was the grand orator and the unparalleled patriot, the confirmed opinion of all the delegates. The Tamil Nadu government has long recognized the remarkable contributions of the past made by citizens, and may perhaps think of honoring Shastri, who was a walking encyclopedia. Perhaps an academic award in his honor would be ideal.
Chennai
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