Mr Thackeray cannot seem to keep religion out of anything. He does not know that art, music and sports do not accept the boundaries that people with minds as narrow as his own have created. He does not know that people want to see Sachin facing Akram at the Wankhade stadium, and not listen to his outbursts of hysteria. Also, the Muslim bashing in his speeches makes one wonder about the mental stability of this man. He says that using the name Sita and Gita in Fire is an insult to Hindu goddesses. Tell us, Mr Thackeray, when in a Hindi commercial film, someone called Sita is raped, is it the rape of a Hindu goddess? In fact, a rape scene in a film is more likely to corrupt young minds than any scene from Fire can.

It is time we stop tolerating this semi-fascist tyranny. Let all open-minded individuals unite against this vandalism, as they did in Calcutta, and show them who the boss is around here.

Deepto Roy, Calcutta

Amit Narula, New Delhi

Shweta

I’m writing this letter in response to Asavari’s article (X-pressions, TT Jan ’99). Unfortunately, I have to agree totally with her description of the state of Delhi buses. The sickening feeling of somebody’s hand purposely clamping down on yours on the handrail or of someone pressing against you resurfaces whenever one talks about bus travel in Delhi. It is a repulsive and coercive initiation into the world of touch and sensations, an initiation which should ideally be consensual and liberating.

However, I don’t think that reservation of seats for women is the answer. At best, it is a momentary escape from the problem and then, it isn’t even that. Any girl who has sat in the aisle seat of a crowded bus will tell you about the acute discomfort of someone purposely pressing his crotch against your shoulder or leaning over you until he’s all but sitting in your lap. If just reading this makes you uncomfortable, imagine living through it.

I’m probably as inept at finding a solution to this as anyone else. What I do know is that though women are disadvantaged physically (as Asavari said), they can use strategy to combat these losers. Instead of wallowing in humiliation, we should humiliate the perpetrators by vocalising our anger. A corollary to this is that we must act on behalf of anyone else being subjected to unsolicited advances. Whoever said there’s safety in numbers knew what he was talking about.

Lastly, to all those men who think that a squeeze and a tickle is nothing to get upset about since it isn’t exactly rape—any act of sexual violence is not demeaning due to the physical act itself but because it violates an individual’s right to his/her body, every individual’s inalienable personal sphere. The differences in the crime itself are merely differences of degree.

Prerona Prasad, New Delhi

Well, all the religions of the world teach the same thing about love, humanity, kindness and peace. Then why do we make religion a cause to fight? (I’m sure none of you would disagree with me in view of the past century when people have used religion as a tool for inhuman torture and the destruction of the world). India and Pakistan were separated just because one set of people read the Quran and the other set read the Gita. Atrocities committed by the Hindus upon the Christians living in Gujarat are shocking—aren’t they?

Agree or not, the majority of people

in our country still do not like the concept of inter-caste and inter-religious marriages and love still can’t prove to be superior to everything. Why can’t we just accept that people around us are similar to us, accepting the facts about cultural, political, racial, linguistic and religious differences. They too are just like us, with a heart beating in their chests and blood running through their veins. They too hate to be hurt and love to be loved.

Why can’t people live in peaceful co-existence rather than become terrorists and gun down innocent people in the name of religion? Why can’t we just take religion as a personal thing to relieve us mentally and to have better communication with God?

It is high time we guys realize that religion should not interfere with our peace of mind and should remain a personal thing. If we don’t, this merciless manslaughter shall leave all of us in the near future regretting and mourning about why the world never believed in a single religion governed by love and humanity. So let’s erase the black spot of superficiality from the face of our religion.

Don’t you agree?

Prakriti Bhatia, New Delhi

I am a 16-year-old boy living in Delhi. When you guys raised the price of your mag from Rs 15 to Rs 25, I was not happy. For the first time I bought it thinking that the price would eventually come down, but it didn’t, so I stopped buying TT (10 bucks are a great deal of money, yaar!). I thought that I could easily live without a mag (can’t I?). I didn’t buy TT for about three months but one fine day after reading your earlier issue I realised that your mag is worth Rs 25. So I went straight out and bought TT. Keep up the good work.I also want e-mail pals so if anyone wants my e-mail address, it is loverboy_158@hotmail.com.

Do you have an e-mail for

Sez You?

XYZ

Hi. I loved Asavari’s article

(X-pressions, Jan’99). It’s positively disgusting when you see a guy who could be your father’s age feeling you up. I may be a guy, but I have watched a person in ‘action’, seen the perverted, satisfied expression on his face and it made me want to throw up. What happened to decency and chivalry and all that?! Did they, like, go out with the wind or something?

Another thing is the way guys like me are treated. I was brought up with my sis and I’m an anti-MCP (and anti-feminist, too). Just because I am an ‘equal rights’ person, I get branded as a feminist who is trying to win the girls over by ‘sticking to their side’. It makes me sick when I have to be an MCP just to be ‘one of the guys’!! I’m sure they don’t read TT. I hope none of you guys out there are like that.

Tahir (tahirx@hotmail.com)

I have been reading your mag for almost a year now. I should congratulate you on your fantastic work. You guys have done a great job. The Jan issue was simply great. But ID Check was disappointing. The info on Ricky Martin and Nitish Jain was superb. Scoreboard doesn’t feature anymore! Why? It would be nice to read interviews of great sportstars. I am a great fan of your mag and hope you continue the good work.