BJP TODAY

June 1--15, 2003 - Vol. 12, No. 11

Reader's Write

A Monthly BJP?

I was pleased to read my article, Dwarka, City of Lord Krishna in BJP Today Vol. 12 No 7 1-15 April 2003. I am a staunch supporter of BJP, RSS, VHP, ISKCON and many such Hindu organizations.

I am a retired person and as I am unable to go out much due to poor health, I spend a lot of time on computer, writing extensively to politicians, religious and community leaders worldwide.

At least two of my articles, letters, travel briefs etc are published every week in local papers and magazines. I like reading BJP Today but I would like to make a few suggestion that may improve and make BJP Today a better publication.

First, make it a monthly publication rather than a bimonthly. It is also full of articles which although informative and well researched, are none the less stereotype and make heavy reading, appealing to those who are totally immersed in the BJP ideology and politics. Articles like mine provide a light reading and as such may appeal to a wider audience.

Use of colour photographs, drawings and space images may also highlight the articles and make it more interesting to read.

I am emailing a couple of my writings and hope you may like them.
With best wishes.

Brotherly Yours

BHUPENDRA M. GANDHI
London

Dr. Prannoy Roy:

It was nice to read your interview reported in the press that you would like to see NDTV 24X7 as the No.1 TV Channel in about one year’s time. Thats Good. You can achieve your ambition if your channel does not resort to HINDU BASHING/MUSLIM APPEASEMENT policy. The NDTV reports on Gujarat have left a very bad taste. Let this not recur again. Fairness in reporting does not mean that you totally ignore the majority community and go on finding faults with it. This is not going to fetch you the results. Lets leave it as such here and let not NDTV Channel boast of actual reporting at the cost of Hindu sentiments and feelings. We cannot trust Pakistan and this is the feeling which has gained momentum south of the Vindhyas as well. We cannot wait for our Hindu brothers and sisters being the victims of ISLAMIC terrorists. It is expected that you expose the ISI supporters and try to tell the Muslim supporters of the terrorists that this will NOT be tolerated. Instead your channel in particular keeps on appeasing Muslims !! Be fair to the majority religion ( to which you belong ). Hindus are very tolerant people but the tolerance has crossed the limits and we, the intellectuals would like to do all that is possible to see that ISLAMIC / JIHADI terrorism does not do any more harm to the citizens of India. Media must help in this regard instead of going on pampering the minority community at the cost of majority bashing. PLEASE GIVE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION .

Dr. D. Rajgopalan, M.D., Ph.D.,
Dr.Shankar Menon MBA.,D.Sc.,&
Dr. Niranjan Prakash, Ph.D.,
Via e-mail

Don't denigrate Defence

At present India is the victim of terrorism. The pro-Pakistan terrorists are raising their heads in all parts of the country. In this given situation, it would be a costly mistake to ignore the importance of Defence ministry.

The principal opposition party, the Congress has been boycotting the Defence Minister whenever he makes statement on the floor of the parliament. The reason for the boycott is found to be very silly. They claim that this was their way to protest Mr. George Fernandes' entry to the cabinet. His name has been cleared by the Justice Venkata Swamy commission in Tehelka case.

The Left parties too are not participating in parliamentary discussion of Defence issues stating that Mr. Fernandes was not acceptable to them.

The burning issues like cross border terrorist have been ignored by the opposition parties. It is a dangerous trend. The whip of the congress parliamentary party was asked to step down as he had put question to the Defence Minister on frequent MIG plane crashes. That was his 'mistake' and it was 'punishable' by the Congress president.

For petty politics, the Congress should not sacrifice the interest of the nation.

V.A. Gopala
Bangalore

Cow Slaughter Ban and Planning Commission

It is a surprise that the Planning Commission has opposed the ban on cow slaughter on the grounds that the fodder resources to feed cows are inadequate in our country. Hence the Planning Commission suports the cow slaughter. What a fallacious argument? Livestock in general and cows in particular contribute more than 23 percent to India's Farm GDP. Hence it is absolutely necessary that we must have plans to increase fodder supply by developing permanent pastures and grazing grounds and filling crop residues like paddy straw, wheat bhusa ctc. We strongly request the Planning Commission to reconsider its views by having a pragmatic approach to the issue of cow slaughter ban as per the spiritual traditions of India and the contribution of cows to the economy of India. We also earnestly request the Central Government to have a legislation on cow slaughter ban soon. (A Bill has already been moved in Parliament-ED)

R.N. Lakhotia