Your cover story on Amit Shah was a detailed one, laden with information (‘Justice for all’, February 18). Shah explained the new criminal laws clearly. He also spoke about the current security situation in the country.
The biggest achievement of the BJP government, according to me, was the abrogation of Article 370 and the ban on triple talaq. Jammu and Kashmir witnessed hundreds of stone pelting incidents in 2010, but not even one was reported in 2023. The rise in tourist footfall in Kashmir shows improved security.
The credit for all this and more should go to the BJP government at the Centre. I hope, in the coming years, there will be many more initiatives taken to improve the economy as well as people’s quality of life.
Anil Deshpande,
On email.
I was impressed with your exclusive interview with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. His responses were very clear, accurate and there was no ambiguity. Shah has been at the forefront of strengthening the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while also proving that he is not far behind Modi.
In fact, Shah gives hope to India.
Jayakumar A.V.,
On email.
Your interview with Shah was enlightening, and he spoke with conviction. He does not mince his words.
Reforming the criminal justice system was the need of the hour, and the new criminal laws will help. Our nation will undoubtedly become a viksit Bharat when justice is centred on scientific method and applied in a timely manner.
Praveen Thimmaiah,
On email.
When asked to assess the 10 years of the Modi government, the first thing that Shah said was about India becoming the third largest economy by 2030. He should know that a vast majority of Indians are becoming poorer day-by-day, compared with a handful of the rich who are becoming enormously richer.
Nevertheless, the new criminal laws are the greatest achievements of the Modi government. Having said that, the Union government has failed to bring up any law to stop religious conflict and violence, or, most importantly a law to support distressed farmers.
Sudarshan,
On email.
I am delighted by the fine balance with which varied subjects were presented in the issue dated February 18. I have always read THE WEEK end to end in a single sitting, mostly on Sundays, but this issue was unputdownable—starting from the editor’s letter, to R. Prasannan’s “zugzwang”, followed by the cover story, the special report on the skilling mission for neurodivergent individuals, to Barkha Dutt’s column on Uniform Civil Code. Kudos to THE WEEK’s editorial team.
The UCC seems to have many more bridges to cross. I hope that in its final form the UCC will balance and synergise the diversity and dynamism of our country.
Kenny John Mathew,
On email.
Loved your anniversary issue
I would like to commend THE WEEK for an excellent Anniversary Special Double Issue. It is worth keeping. I enjoyed the article by Pranay Sanklecha. It was well presented and kept the reader engaged; a difficult feat, considering that it was on philosophy, usually considered a dry, difficult topic to follow.
Articles such as the photo-feature on the women jawans of the BSF’s camel contingent, the guest column by Capt G.R. Gopinath, the article on Salman Rushdie’s property in Delhi and the interview with Dr Abraham Verghese made for it to be a masterpiece of an issue.
All said, I wish Mani Shankar Aiyar would bring down his vitriol as it does not go down well with a magazine of your repute.
Sulata Shenoy,
On email.
Matchless Tharoor
It is a great pleasure to read Shashi Tharoor’s columns. As a wordsmith, he is beyond compare. When he uses his command of the English language to discuss a current issue he creates a lucid piece of writing which also raises questions that are difficult to be answered.
Goutam Sen,
On email.
Pure nostalgia
It was pure nostalgia reading about [rock band] 13AD (‘Brotherhood of empty wallets’, February 4). They were fantastic not only as a band but also in the way they interacted with their loyal followers. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, I was one of them. The original group or quartet was Paul, on bass; Pedro, on drums; Stanley, the crooner; and Eloy, the lead. We became quite close during the time. Pedro left for Botswana and Pinson came to the rescue. George and the rest came in much later, but sadly I lost touch with the group. Stanley still goes solo.
There’s so much to talk about those days. We were regulars at Hotel Sealord [in Kochi] nearly every other weekend. Those days I thought I sang well and the band was always ready to back me up, covering up whatever mistakes I made with their expertise. When I invited them for my wedding they insisted on playing at the party and took only the transport money.
Below is a photograph from my wedding in 1981. In the photograph Paul is seen on extreme left, Pedro is the bassist, Stanley is the one sporting sunglasses, and lead singer is Elloy.
Inasu Jacob,
On email.