Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Outlaw the VHP

Sir, — I endorse the opinion of Mahasweta Devi that communal organisations such as the VHP should be banned, but is it necessary to use this weapon to tackle such a petty organisation?

If my knowledge is right, organisations that collect donations have to be registered with the Charity Commissioner. This automatically means that they have to abide by the rules and laws of the country. Yet, we find office-bearers of the VHP stating brazenly that they will not abide by the verdict of the Supreme Court.

Is this not sufficient reason for the organisation to be deregistered by the Charity Commissioner? Consequently, all claims of the VHP on the disputed land will be eroded. Its office-bearers can then be brought to book by initiating suitable contempt of court proceedings.

Secondly, it has been announced that the `Ram sevaks' who died in the train carnage at Godhra would be given compensation of Rs.2 lakhs. Have the authorities found out if the `Ram sevaks' were ticketed travellers?

If not, should such persons be compensated by the Government from the tax paid by us? Should the Government give compensation to criminals (ticketless travellers are criminals) just because they became the victims of the activities of another set of criminals?

Neelesh Viswanathan,
Aurangabad

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• Mr. Modi must go
• Straitened circumstances
• The U.S. and India: setting the focus
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• The Ayodhya tangle
• Outlaw the VHP
• Don't forget 1984
• Rising above bias
• Only the truth
• Learn from China
• A fitting tribute
• Handcuffing

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