Sir — In the article, “Ayodhya amnesia” (Nov 5), Manini Chatterjee rightly reposes faith in the Supreme Court for a just settlement of the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute. The decision of the apex court to postpone the matter to the first week of January 2019 is sound. This has put paid to the expectations of the Hindu right-wing groups that an early verdict could have been used to polarize voters along religious lines before the Lok Sabha elections.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its affiliates are pressurizing the Bharatiya Janata Party government to pass an ordinance to construct a Ram temple in Ayodhya. This shows the fear of the saffron parties that they might be headed towards an unfavourable result in the upcoming elections owing to the failure of the prime minister to deliver on the promises he made ahead of the 2014 elections.

S.S. Paul,

Nadia

Sir — It is worrying that while expressing unhappiness over the decision of the Supreme Court to postpone the hearing of the Ayodhya title suit till January, the RSS general secretary, Bhaiyyaji Joshi, said that the outfit will not hesitate to launch an agitation similar to the one in 1992 for the construction of a Ram temple. He also said that the government could achieve this task if it brought out an ordinance. This proves that the RSS neither believes in the judiciary nor does it respect the verdict of the apex court. Such threats can be perceived to be aimed at forcing the hands of the apex court into giving a judgment favourable to the saffron camp to maintain law and order.

It is surprising that no action has been taken against him for his inflammatory comments. The Supreme Court should issue strict instructions to all political parties and other organizations to abstain from making statements that might spread hatred and violence in the country.

Mohd. Faheem,

Mumbai

Sir — The campaigning for the assembly and general elections has begun in earnest. As part of this, the saffron parties led by the RSS have been demanding an ordinance to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya. The Supreme Court’s decision to decline to hear the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute urgently has thus made them desperate.

This is obvious from the fact that a BJP member of parliament, Rakesh Sinha, plans to move a private member’s bill in the Rajya Sabha for building a Ram temple. This is an extension of the position taken by the RSS supremo, Mohan Bhagwat. Sinha has also asked the Opposition parties to clear their stand on the issue.

There is no doubt that after staying mostly silent on the matter for four years, the champions of Hindutva are pressing for a resolution of the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case now as they are determined to keep the temple issue simmering before the polls. They want to make political gains by portraying the Opposition as anti-Hindu. This is a dangerous strategy and might lead to serious communal clashes.

S.K. Choudhury,

Bangalore

Sir — Hindu political organizations like the RSS and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad are trying to vitiate the country’s atmosphere since the apex court postponed the hearing of the Ayodhya case. Not a day goes by without some or the other provocative statement being made in this regard. Such provocation will only disrupt the communal harmony in the country. One should respect the decision of the apex court and wait for its verdict on the matter.

F.T. Mulla,

Secunderabad

Toxic fumes

Sir — Air pollution is a matter of great concern. It has precipitated a national health crisis and, as such, requires urgent action. The poor air quality in the National Capital Region recently forced the apex court to issue some serious strictures. But nothing can be achieved without public will. People must avoid polluting the environment.

Muhammad Tariq,

Mumbai

Sir — The apex court had restricted the time period for bursting crackers to arrest air pollution in the country. But, in India, laws are honoured more in their breach. One reason for this is that there are not enough law enforcement officers to keep a check on every citizen. It becomes difficult for policemen reaching the spot long after a violation to make any arrest.

Further, crackers are not the only source of pollution. Emissions from factories and vehicles, burning of agricultural waste and so on also degrade air quality. The first step must be to create awareness about the ill-effects of air pollution.

N.R. Ramachandran,

Chennai

Path to benediction

Sir — It is wonderful to know that a skywalk connecting the Dakshineswar railway station with the famous Kali temple was recently inaugurated by the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee. Every day, large numbers of devotees and tourists visit the shrine. The skywalk should go a long way towards easing traffic congestion in the area. The decision to have a light-and-sound show on the history of the temple is welcome too. This will help enlighten the visitors and devotees. These initiatives of the state government are praiseworthy.

Sourish Misra,

Calcutta

Indians light fire crackers wearing masks to fight pollution as they celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights in Hyderabad, India, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018. India's top court recently ruled that only less polluting firecrackers should be manufactured and sold. AP Photo