Letters to the Editor: Undermining India’s democratic spirit

Undermining India’s democratic spirit

The recent protests in West Bengal against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, have spiralled into violence, raising serious concerns about their direction and implications in a democratic nation like India. While the right to protest is enshrined in the Constitution, the manner in which these demonstrations have unfolded, marked by arson, vandalism, and loss of life, deviates from the principles of peaceful dissent expected in an independent, pluralistic society. The Waqf (Amendment) Act aims to reform the administration of Waqf properties, addressing long-standing issues of mismanagement and transparency. Critics argue it infringes on religious autonomy, fuelling discontent among sections of the Muslim community. However, the violent protests in districts like Murshidabad, where vehicles were torched, public property damaged, and at least three lives lost, reflect a failure to engage constructively with the issue. Such actions not only undermine the legitimacy of the grievances but also polarize communities, playing into the hands of divisive political narratives. India’s democratic framework provides ample avenues for dissent—dialogue, legal recourse, and peaceful assemblies. The Calcutta High Court’s order to deploy central forces underscores the gravity of the unrest, signalling a breakdown in civil discourse. Reports of targeted attacks, including the tragic killing of a father-son duo, highlight how mob violence risks escalating communal tensions, contradicting India’s ethos of unity in diversity. The protests’ descent into chaos also raises questions about leadership and instigation. While West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has vowed not to implement the Act, critics, including the BJP, accuse her of tacitly fuelling unrest for political gain, an allegation that demands scrutiny. In an independent India, grievances must be channelled through dialogue and democratic institutions, not destruction. The Waqf Act protests, in their current form, betray this ideal, risking further division in an already polarized landscape.

Chandan Kumar Nath

Sorbhog, Barpeta

Is West Bengal burning?

After the passage of the Waqf bill in both houses of parliament, two states, namely Manipur and West Bengal, are burning as a mark of protest against the Waqf Act. Violence of an extreme degree against the Hindu community is seen on the streets of those two states. Manipur is already under President's Rule because of ethnic violence. Very alarmingly, in West Bengal, CM Mamata Banerjee is adding fuel to the fire with her provocative speeches opposing the Act, inciting the Muslims, particularly the infiltrated community from Bangladesh, to take the law into their own hands to the extent of killing a father and son duo in cold blood after setting their house on fire. Sadly, after Bangladesh, the Hindu Bengalis are not safe in their own courtyard. It was a state-sponsored violence unleashed by the TMC government against the Hindus in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee’s (aka Didi) appeasement policy for the Muslim brethren led to inaction against the perpetrators of crime. Sorry to say, but presently West Bengal should be called ‘Waste Bengal’.

Is it not time for President’s Rule in West Bengal? Didi should be tried for treason, as she has ceased to be an Indian and will not rest until West Bengal becomes a part of Bangladesh.

Joel Goyari,

Tangla.

Decline in placements

Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are one of the most sought-after institutions of higher learning, with an extremely arduous admission test to find a way into these centres. Also, graduates emanating from these institutions are considered highly "employable" with great demand in the job market. However, according to a parliamentary committee report, there has been a 10-percentage-point drop in placements in all the IITs except one in 2023–24 as compared to 2021–22. It should be noted that a percentage point is an arithmetic difference between two percentages.

Following Covid-19, there was a slight upswing in IIT job seekers, but a slight decline may not mean much because the loss to the technical field may be a gain for other fields like civil services, as there are plenty of IIT graduates who are picking the latter as a career option. It may also be that quite a few innovative IIT graduates are going for their own ventures to make a mark in society. That said, is there a decline in job offers for the IIT passouts? If so, then the Centre should seriously think along the lines of making the 23 IITs in the country more faculty-friendly by attracting the best teaching talent. A growing economy like India's warrants a "horses for courses" approach. A decrease in placements among the IITians, therefore, is not good news.

 Dr Ganapathi Bhat

(gbhat13@gmail.com)