Your report on the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Temple was laden with information; the consecration of the temple is going to be a glorious moment in Indian history and the result of 500 years of penance by so many devotees across the world (‘Lord’s own country’, January 14). Those who live today are extremely lucky to witness the historic moment. People, cutting across religions, should celebrate the consecration of Lord Ram’s idol in Ayodhya on January 22. It is the triumph of good over evil.
There is no BJP Ram or Congress Ram. Lord Ram is for one and all.
Vinod Khatri,
On email.
Lord Ram has guided us in our journey so far, and will continue to help us in the years to come. It is wrong to accuse the BJP of mixing religion with politics. If there was one political party that went all out to ensure that the Ram Temple saw the light of the day, it was the BJP. Its leaders even went to jail for the cause.
Demolishing the mosque in Ayodhya was a mistake that should never have been committed. But the country has already paid the price for it.
Ranjan Gowda,
On email.
Your cover story was really interesting and informative. There is no doubt that Ayodhya is a new economic powerhouse in the making. The money and effort that the Central and state governments have put into Ayodhya will give better returns to the people of the holy city.
Anil Deshpande,
On email.
The consecration of the Ram Temple could mark the grand renaissance of the Hindu faith. The temple will contribute not only to spirituality but also to all-round development of Ayodhya. Rather than accusing Narendra Modi of using the temple for political gains, the opposition parties must display political foresight and attend the consecration ceremony.
Kangayam R. Narasimhan,
On email.
Ram resides in the hearts of Hindus. Why isn’t anyone talking about the construction of the mosque in Ayodhya? In fact, the temple and the mosque should have been inaugurated on the same day to promote communal harmony among the two religions. That is the spirit of a secular democracy.
Let us hope better sense prevails between the two religious communities after the inauguration of the temple, and may Lord Ram maintain peace and happiness and tranquility in the country so that India becomes a developed country and competes with superpowers like the US and Russia.
Diomedes Romano Pereira,
On email.
On caste and more
R. Prasannan said there was the chaturvarna system that prescribed different rights for different castes (‘Power Drive’, January 14). This is not true. In Bhagavad Gita 4-13, Lord Krishna said that he created different varnas on the basis of one’s karma (activity) and guna (quality), and not by birth. And that everyone is treated equally.
Prasannan said that most revellers don’t know the panchang month and tithi on which Diwali falls. Nor do I know. Panchang is a calender system followed for a long time. I know the day on which Diwali falls.
While Prasannan talked about democracy and the Greeks and the Romans, it is sad that he can proudly show his ignorance on both of the two facts. Not appreciated.
Srikanth B.K.,
Bengaluru.
Letter from Chinese embassy
On January 7, 2024, THE WEEK published online an article by Baushuan Ger, so-called “Taiwan’s representative to India”. The article is filled with lies and ridiculous mistakes such as “bilateral relations” between Taiwan and India, “presidential election”, “democratic country”, etc. We can’t believe that your magazine could ever carry such a piece that is against the common sense knowledge to mislead the readers.
There is but one China in the world; Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This has been clearly recognised by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971. The One-China principle is also the political foundation of the China-India relations.
It is interesting that an Indian magazine would downgrade India, a sovereign state, to “develop bilateral relations” with simply one part of China, and this is to dishonour India’s commitment on the One-China principle. The readers can easily find out that India is one of the first countries to recognise that there is only one China.
We hope THE WEEK could respect and take a correct stance on issues of core interests concerning China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, not provide platform for “Taiwan independence” forces, and avoid sending wrong messages to the public.
The Chinese Embassy in India requests the magazine to remove the article mentioned above from your website and cancel it from the printed version. The embassy is willing to provide assistance for accurate and objective reports on China-related issues.
Xiaojian Wang,
counsellor and spokesperson,
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China.