The author has succinctly analysed the institutional capture by the ruling dispensation, and how opposition parties continue to play the electoral game, knowing fully well that rules of the game and the referee have both been neutralised (“The Opposition’s Bihar delusion and Illusion of democracy”). My only bone of contention is Anand Teltumbde’s expectations on “what should have been done”. Here, he seems to have set his expectations too high, at least going by the recent performance of the opposition parties.

It is said that doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result is insanity. But what if the whole purpose of doing so is to maintain a status quo in service of a self-serving objective? Sustained mass movement, civil disobedience and the shutting down of normal political functioning can be the most effective tool in any fight against a democratic dictatorship. But this presupposes ideological strength, intellectual coherence, sacrifice and a vision .

Will a single Member of Parliament, Member of Legislative Assembly or even a local councillor from the Opposition benches sacrifice power, pelf, pension, government-provided security and everything else that goes with their present status to plunge head first into mass movement, civil disobedience and the disruption of political functioning?

Even assuming altruistic plans are to be put into play by the top political opposition leadership, it will spur an exodus down the line. Who wants a life on the road when all is good in air-conditioned premises? Yes, some do hit the road, managed and orchestrated by lackeys and handlers. They make the headlines for a few days and then it is back to business in cosier environments. Do these handlers really expect to build mass movement and connect citizens with this?

The author has himself conceded that the “king” bestows some benefits on his adversaries to maintain a charade of democracies. What if these “adversaries” are satisfied with the crumbs that come their way? Why jeopardise what one has for nebulous things such as as citizens’ rights and liberties? So they playing the same game, over and over again. At least it maintains status quo and all that it fetches. People can be fooled all the time. Nonetheless, Teltumbde deserves praise from all the very few who acknowledge that we do live in darkness. – Ajoy K Das

LK Advani’s divisive legacy

Ramachandra Guha is partially right (“Ramachandra Guha: The most divisive Indian”). But he is also partial, as seen from his exclusion of Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda from the list of his Makers of Modern India. Guha understands a little bit of the polemics of Indian politics, but not the problematics of it, which is interwoven with a long evolution of the ideas and ideals India stands for. These people should study deeply and ponder more on the fundamentals on which they write. Simply writing good English does not make a great writer. They should study scholars like Arnold Toynbee or Will Durant. – Haramohan Mishra

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When I heard of the bomb blast that killed prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, the first thought that came to mind was his response to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, “When a big tree falls, the earth shakes.” During Narendra Modi’s second tenure as prime minister, there was a photograph of LK Advani standing with bent shoulders and folded palms, one among several, watching Modi enter, standing straight, his gaze fixed straight ahead. The hero of the Rath Yatra had been forgotten. – Catherine Thankamma

Social freedom

BR Ambedkar laid more emphasis on social freedom than political freedom (“Why India’s judiciary needs diversity for democratic justice”). He knew well that in a hierarchical society like India, political freedom from the British would mean that power would go into the hands of the socially dominant Indians, while the rest of society would lead the same lives. It was this that drove Ambedkar to seek the social liberation of the suppressed classes of the Hindu society. What the architect of the Indian Constitution foresaw years ago,is now proving true. – SC Gangwar

Bengaluru’s tunnel road project

Tunnels are seen to be effective across the globe, mainly in reducing travel time (“Why Bengaluru’s Tunnel Road project could exact an expensive toll”). Other reasons such as the tunnels primarily being used by cars and buses is irrelevant here since it is not about the number of vehicles but the space these vehicles occupy on the road – which is high and therefore they should be moved underground. Pollution is another important aspect and here tunnels help too. Finally, if the tunnels are too close to areas such as Lal Bagh, they should be built in such a way that any effect they might have is addressed. – Sayeed Md

Vaccine scepticism

I came across this article and I support Sridhar Vembu’s concerns about vaccines . “Sridhar Vembu’s vaccine scepticism is a dangerous foray into anti-science disinformation”). I have several questions for the author about vaccines and the nexus between global elites and the pharmaceutical lobby that wants to depopulate the entire world through experimental vaccines. After reading my email, you will perceive me as a conspiracy theorist. – Santokh Singh Saggu

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