Freedom of speech

No reservations
Congratulations to Barack Obama (‘It’s Obama but Hillary in denial’, DNA, June 5) for being the first black US presidential candidate from a major party. It is the first time in the history of of the United States that a black person has won the nomination. And this has happened without any reservation. We should think about it without any reservations too! Social justice needs an open mindset and a larger viewpoint that sidelines petty interests of caste and creed.
—Vikram N Walawalkar, Mumbai

Freedom of speech
We condemn the unprovoked and dastardly attack on the house of Kumar Ketkar, Editor-in-Chief, Loksatta, on the morning of June 5. This is an attack on the freedom of expression. All freedom loving people must stand up to such fascist attacks. Supporters of Shiv Sangram Sanghtana are reportedly behind this attack. They were protesting against the editorial in Loksatta of June 4 that commented on the government proposal to install Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in the Arabian sea. In democracy, no one has the right to scuttle freedom of expression by use of force. Such fascist means have no place in a democratic society. Those who feel offended by the editorial are free to approach either the Press Council of India or an appropriate court of law. We demand that the police and government of Maharashtra immediately initiate action, as per law, against the culprits. No one should be spared, howsoever influential he may be.
—Aroon Tikekar, Darryl D’monte, Jatin Desai and others, via email

Pricey decisions
The report ‘Shivaji statue to be 3 ft taller than Lady Liberty’, (DNA, June 2) may be a cause of delight for a number of people, but it is not good news for those who are compelled to live their lives under the shadow of poverty. If the Rs200 crores allocated for the statue can be spent on people who really need it, it would be very useful. Instead of this adulation, the government must concentrate on more basic necessities .
—Md Saqib Qasmi, Mumbai

Price hike
The recent fuel price hike by the government is a wrong move (‘Govt bites political bullet, hikes fuel prices, DNA, June 5). The rise was not the ‘only option’ the government had to work with. The justification that it is a moderate hike is inaccurate. The masses who use their motorbikes (that run on petrol) are being marginalised by this government. Moreover, due to faulty policies, the rupee was not allowed to appreciate against the dollar — hence in real terms we pay more than other countries for a barrel of oil. The government may have rolled back certain duties, but around three-fifth of what a common man pays at a petrol pump still goes to the government. Just four months ago, while talking about buoyant revenues, the finance minister P Chidambaram should have realised where these revenues come from.
—Rahul Mudholkar, Pune.

Tightening the belt
Crude oil prices world over have hit the roof (‘Crude oil price bubble is all about dot-com déjà vu’, DNA.Money, May 31). The hike has had an effect on prices of all mass consumption commodities. Political parties with an eye on their vote banks want to control the prices of various products like petrol, diesel, and gas by subsidies and bonds. This is not the right way to tackle the problem. There are some solutions to deal with increasing oil prices. The government can levy more taxes on the rich, who can afford to pay them. The middle class and the general public will have to curtail expenses with regards to entertainment, vacations and leisure travel. Unless there is a general restraint in our lifestyles, we cannot meet the challenge of rising prices.
—K Venkataraman, Mumbai