Grave reservations

The unfortunate incident in Rajasthan was due to a failed policy of reservation which is being continued only because of vote-bank politics.

The unfortunate incident in Rajasthan in which 30 people demanding reservation for the Gujjar community were killed was due to a failed policy of reservation which is being continued only because of vote-bank politics. If the government is sincere about the uplift of backwards, the eligibility criterion should be changed from being caste to family-size because illiteracy and large families are the root of backwardness.

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Madhu Agrawal, Delhi

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The violence over the reservation issue should serve as an eye-opener for political parties in general and the UPA government in particular. It is time to review the reservation policy with a view to abolishing this provision in a phased manner.

JN Mahanty, Puri

Temple trials

Even in this modern age, we have not been able to rise above retrograde practices like barring entry into temples on the basis of caste, religion and even gender. No one should be permitted to bar non-Hindus from entering temples of Jagannath, Sree Krishna in Puri and Guruvayoor. How can any human being’s entry desecrate the sanctum sanctorums?

Arjun Jaiswal, Patna

Waning wildlife

Joanna Van Gruisen’s article Hidden tiger, crouching dragon (May 29) presented a true picture of our government’s apathy when it comes to protecting our wildlife. We are proud of our rich wildlife and of having Asia’s largest tiger reserve. But we don’t seem to have any concrete solution to tackle the serious situation of vanishing tigers. We should raise our voice when China is pressuring the world to reopen the trade in tiger bones. We must take some firm decisions to save our precious wildlife.

Tripta Kapoor, Delhi

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