Governor’s remark
The Governor of Maharashtra should have been more careful in what he said (Page 1, “Koshyari under attack for ‘insulting Marathis’, July 31). No individual community can take credit for the greatness of this country. It is the overall contribution of every Indian that has made the country what it is now.
T. Anand Raj,
Chennai
The incisive comment made by the Maharashtra Governor is uncalled for. The prosperity of a State is not contingent on where its people hail from. Instead, it rests on the skills and the hard work of all the people in that State.
Aanya Singhal,
Noida, Uttar Pradesh
The average Indian on the street is sick and tired of controversies being churned out on a daily basis. Irresponsible talk by responsible people seems to have become a national disease. It is time people learnt to talk appropriately on relevant national issues, and focus more on national life and nation building.
Dr. George Jacob,
Kochi, Kerala
The right word
The controversy over the word that a Congress leader used when referring to the (new) President of India need not have arisen in the first place had the politician thought about what he wanted to say. Political tantrums apart, the word “Rashtrapati” itself can be dispensed with. “Rashtradhyaksha” is the one word that is rarely used in lieu of “Rashtrapati”. The word “Rashtradhyaksha” for men and “Rashtradhyakshe” for women can be conveniently used. In doing so, the controversy around the use of the word “Rashtrapati” can be set at rest. Nobody can be “Pati or Pathni” to the nation.
K.V. Seetharamaiah,
Bengaluru
This is not the first time that the Congress leader has ended up in a mess. It is as if he has a knack of landing himself right in the soup. To avoid any controversy, the President can be described as ‘RashtraMaatha’, or mother of the nation instead.
Jayanthinathan,
Coimbatore
It would be illuminative to peep into the past as far as the word ‘ Rashtrapati’ is concerned. It goes to the credit of H.V. Kamath who set the ball rolling in December 1948 while questioning B.R. Ambedkar about the use of the word. Now, let MPs in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha think carefully before airing their views and be wary of certain terms and phrases to avoid controversy.
Mani Natarajan,
Chennai
State of the media
It is heartening that the Chief Justice of India, N.V. Ramana, has come down heavily on the electronic media and social media. It is apparent that ill-informed, agenda-driven debates and biased views are weakening our democratic values. The fourth estate has lost its moorings and has almost been reduced to a mouthpiece of the ruling dispensation. There are many channels that resort to mischief and mediocrity. There is no analysis of the pros and cons of any crucial subject. It is time that the Chief Justice’s words are taken seriously, especially by the electronic media.
Janga Bahadur Sunuwar,
Bagrakote, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal
