‘Tamil Nationalism’
I think that the article (Tamil Nationalism, Frontier, August 28-September 3, 2022) by Mr K Rasingam is a rather biased and even distorted version of events.

There are key aspects of the national question that such narratives knowingly skip.

I hope that Frontier will take an interest in offering a balanced view of the subject, without compromising on denouncing the misdeeds of the state.
Sivanandam Sivasegaram

An Appeal
[This appeal is addressed to all peoples’ movements, organisations and activists, all civil society organisations, public intellectuals and all who hold the Constitution as the most sacred text, all who dream to see India beyond caste, creed, language and political partisanship, all who have inherited the great civilisation and care for its future.]

From September 7th 2022, Bharat Jodo Yatra, a Padayatra of 3500 kms from Kanyakumari to Kashmir is being organised by the Indian National Congress. The objective of the Yatra is to stir the conscience of the people in times when the constitutional values and democratic norms are being brazenly undermined and the very idea of India has come under a systematic assault.

Never before have had the values of the Republic faced as heinous an assault as they have in the recent past.

Never before have hate, division and exclusion unleashed on us with such impunity.

Never before have we been subjected to surveillance, propaganda and disinformation at this scale.

Never before has the nation seen a regime so callous to the plight of the people while the economy lies in ruins, propped up only by a few favoured cronies.

Never before have had the real nation-builders—an overwhelming majority of the farmers and workers, Dalits and Adivasis—faced such effective exclusion in the shaping of the nation's future.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra takes place in the context of this grave national crisis. The Congress party has appealed to all "like minded political parties [and] civil society groups… to unite and join the Bharat Jodo Yatra". Taking note of this appeal and recognising the dire need for such an initiative, a conclave was organised on 22nd of August in Delhi by nearly 200 representatives of people’s movements. After a day-long deliberation, that included a dialogue with the Yatra organisers in the Congress party, the conclave unanimously welcomed this initiative. Expressing broad solidarity with the initiative, it was agreed to engage with this yatra and issue an appeal to everyone in the civil society to join hands with it.
Yogendra Yadav, September 4

Bail for Teesta Setalvad
A small, and maybe transient, yet very significant victory.

Kudos to this extremely gritty fighter—a Padma awardee, for human rights and communal amity.

Deserves a hero's welcome!

Activist Teesta Setalvad was released from jail in Ahmedabad on September 3, 2022, a day after the Supreme Court granted her interim bail in a case of allegedly fabricating evidence related to the 2002 Gujarat riots. She was arrested on June 26, and had been lodged in the Sabarmati Central Jail.

As per the SC order, she was produced before sessions judge V A Rana for bail formalities.

"The sessions court imposed two conditions over and above the conditions imposed by the apex court. The sessions court asked the accused to furnish a personal bond of Rs 25,000 and not to leave India without its prior permission", special public prosecutor Amit Patel said.
Sukla Sen

Back to Home Page

Frontier
Vol 55, No. 13, Sep 25 - Oct 1, 2022