Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Self-defeating

Sir, — Refer `Courts and politics of development' (March 29 and 30): Medha Patkar has failed to address two core issues. (1) The Supreme Court verdicts with respect to the Narmada dam and many other issues need to be challenged. Instead of appealing before a larger bench as in Antulay's case, citing Arundhati Roy's contempt case as evidence of courts working against the impoverished does not make sense. Ms. Patkar's defence of Ms. Roy is surprising. Surely Ms. Patkar realises the difference between criticising a judgment and attributing motives to judges without proof. The contempt case has only served to divert attention from the cause of the people to an individual.

(2) There is the indifference of the middle class to social causes especially when court verdicts go against the hapless masses. One needs to look at why this is happening. The problem with the NBA is that it acts without a proper plan of when, what, where and how. It is heard on all the wrong topics — contempt, corrupt politicians and courts versus development that most people complain about. There is nothing new in it and people do not pay attention. Thus it eventually ends up getting sidetracked and defeating the very cause it is fighting for.

Deepa Kandaswamy

Tiruchi, T.N.

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