In a letter addressed to Chief Ministers and former Chief Ministers on March 7, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin framed the Union government’s delimitation plans as a fundamental assault on federalism.
Stalin has called on Chief Ministers in southern and eastern India to form a united front against the delimitation exercise, warning that the process – if executed as per the next census – would drastically weaken the political representation of states that have successfully controlled their population.
“The essence of India’s democracy rests on its federal character – a system that gives each state its rightful voice while honouring our sacred unity as one nation,” Stalin wrote. “Today, I write with urgency as this balance faces a profound threat that could permanently diminish the influence of states like ours in shaping our nation’s future,” he emphasised.
Shamsul Hoda
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Time to Tackle Poverty
The report which says India’s true consuming class is just 10 percent of the total population, points to the real state of the country’s population. Despite all that talk about a $5 trillion economy, a good proportion of Indians continue to wallow in poverty, not knowing where their next meal will come from. Joblessness is threatening to assume menacing proportions while price rise is a constant headache for every Indian middle-class household.
The report is also a pointer to the grim fact that after the Covid pandemic, the rich have got richer while the poor are fast losing their purchasing power. The deteriorating condition of the poor could also be because social welfare schemes which once helped them improve their condition, are receiving a raw deal from the current dispensation. It is obviously time to have a relook at our anti-poverty programmes.
Ajmal Sharief
Bengaluru, Karnataka
No, Sir
Recently I read an article titled “Why Maududi’s Islamism Must be Rejected? (https://countercurrents.org/2025/03/why-maududis-islamism-must-be-rejected/) by Mr. Yanis Iqbal, a Researcher of AMU, Aligarh.
Mr. Yanis Iqbal is not a competent authority to ask the people to reject any ideology or belief. People are free to choose any ideology which they think is the most appropriate. Such writers have damaged Islam than good.
I agree to disagree with the writer.
Farooq AbdulgafarBawani
Rajkot, Gujarat
Israeli Tactics Reprehensible
The Israeli tactics to sabotage the second phase of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas by putting new conditions for the deal and stopping entry of all goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip is reprehensible. That the international community is tight-lipped as Israel is blatantly denigrating the peace agreement by using ‘starvation’ as a weapon is awful.
The double standards of the U.S. President Donald Trump are crystal clear – as he lectured his Ukranian counterpart to end war with Russia to stop innocent people getting killed, while at the same time he obviously giving licence to Netanyahu to massacre the Palestinians in Gaza. The Hindu (March 3) report “Israel cuts off Gaza aid to pressure Hamas to accept new ceasefire deal” details it.
Syed Sultan Mohiddin
Kadapa (A.P)