Biased opinion

Sir — Many of us are unable to comprehend what led the right-wing magazine, Panchajanya, to accuse Infosys of working against the interests of the Indian economy (“Soft target”, Sep 8). It is even stranger that such a serious accusation seems to have been made merely because of technical glitches that affected the functioning of the income tax digital portal, which was developed by Infosys. This is simply outrageous.

It was only last month that the Union minister of commerce, Piyush Goyal, had gone on a tirade against India Inc, especially the Tata group, accusing the latter of being self-serving and acting against the well-being of the nation. Goyal faced intense criticism which eventually led to the government asking the Confederation of Indian Industry — the remarks were made at its annual meet — to remove the video from YouTube. But it seems like the sangh parivar has learnt nothing from the backlash.

The article in Panchajanya not only hurled insensitive accusations at the tech company but also, remarkably, admitted that it does not have any solid evidence to support its claim. Since then, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has tried to distance itself from the publication with the national media and publicity in-charge, Sunil Ambekar, tweeting that Infosys has made a “seminal contribution” to the progress of the country and that Panchajanya is “not [a] mouthpiece of the RSS”. But that is too little too late.

It is time that the government and its supporters understood that companies such as the Tata group and Infosys have been contributing to the progress of the nation from long before the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power. These companies have provided employment to generations — in the case of Tata, also helped build townships around its industries — and have led India towards liberalization from the forefront. To call such giants of the industry anti-national is an immense folly. It is becoming increasingly clear that only those companies which cosy up to the sangh parivar will be deemed legitimate in India.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,
Faridabad

Sir — It is baffling that Panchajanya thought it would be prudent to accuse the Indian tech giant, Infosys, of being anti-national. The prime minister claims to be an advocate for indigenous industries and, yet, said nothing when a magazine affiliated to the sangh parivar vilified Infosys. As is the case with any IT endeavour, technical glitches are bound to occur. Infosys has built its reputation as a stalwart of the industry over decades with quality output and innovation.

The publication sought to malign the goodwill and image of Infosys for no valid reason. It is hoped that the magazine will withdraw the editorial and extend its unconditional apology as early as possible.

Bal Govind,
Noida

Sir — Nothing can be more injurious to investment than vicious attacks on private companies by those in power. Weeks after Piyush Goyal slammed the Tata group for working against the interests of the Indian economy, the right-wing magazine, Panchajanya, accused Infosys of being in collusion with “Naxals, Leftists and the tukde tukde gang” to destabilize the economy.

If the company’s products were facing prolonged technical issues, then it should be held accountable for that. But it is outlandish to label a company anti-national over such glitches. A protracted and unjustified attack on businesses will only create an atmosphere of fear which will harm the country in the long run.

Anushka Panwar,
Ujjain

New trouble

Sir — The outbreak of the Nipah virus in Kerala in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic has put everyone on edge (“Nipah easier to contain, say experts”, Sep 7). So far, the death of a 12-year-old boy has been attributed to the virus and at least 32 others have been categorized as high-risk. The chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, and the health minister, Veena George, must remain on their toes from now on.

M.R. Jayanthy,
Mumbai

Sir — As Kerala faces yet another health crisis, we cannot help but remember the contributions of the former health minister, K.K. Shailaja. Hopefully, Veena George will be able to tackle the situation as well as her predecessor.

Janani Iyer,
Kochi

Ominous signs

Sir — After wresting power in Afghanistan, the Taliban had assured that women will be allowed to pursue an education. But when private universities resumed classes, photographs emerged of female students segregated by a curtain from their male counterparts in a classroom. The education authority further mandated that women must wear an abaya and a niqab in universities, that they cannot be taught by male teachers and must use separate entry and exit points. These are ominous signs. The Taliban is likely to prohibit women from occupying public spaces soon.

Anamika Saha,
Calcutta