Letters

Dear Amitabh Bachchan

Dear Amitabh Bachchan

In the context of the recent attacks by Raj Thackeray on you, DNA has reported that you and your family are “willing to face any punishment if found guilty.”

Guilty for what? For hurting Marathi pride? However tasteless you or Raj may find it, do you see it as a crime that deserves ‘punishment’?

That is what your statement implies, and it does a disservice to your fellow citizens and to the cause of free speech.

Also, it actually furthers Raj Thackeray’s agenda. I hope you sleep well at night now.

Regards

Amit Varma

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More open letters here.

Dear LK Advani

Dear LK Advani

The Hindustan Times reports today that you recently “slammed the SP and Congress for their ‘opportunistic alliance’.”

Quick question: Has there ever been a political alliance that is not opportunistic?

Also, what exactly is wrong with being opportunistic? Do you promise not to do anything opportunistic after the next general elections?

Regards

Amit Varma

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More open letters here.

Dear Mitra Kalita

Dear Mitra

You write in your column today that your support of reservations “is not a socialist stance.” Quick question: Are you aware of the meaning of the word ‘socialist’?

A socialist society typically redistributes wealth—reservations redistribute opportunities. Same difference.

You speak about “universities (and eventually the private sector, I hope)” being “forced” to implement reservations. Forced? So you see coercion as the basis of social justice? That sounds familiar.

You write at the end of your piece: “[A] day might come in the rest of India where you ask two young men on a college campus what caste the other is—and each will say he doesn’t even know.” Well, I wasn’t aware of my caste in my college years, or that of my friends. With prosperity and an open economy, barriers of caste gradually erode. Yes, India has a long, long way to go before we’re prosperous enough and open enough, but consider that reservations actually increase one’s awareness of caste, and exacerbate tensions between them. You cannot fight injustice with injustice.

Warm regards

Amit

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Link via email from Nitin Pai. More open letters here.

Dear Harlan Coben

Dear Harlan Coben

Don’t be silly. Kids tend to be smarter than their parents think they are. If you put spyware on your children’s computers, two things will happen. One, they will detect it—and perhaps put malware on your machine. Two, they will resent your intrusion for the rest of their lives.

Sure, I understand your desire to protect them. But before thinking of the damage the rest of the world might do to them, think of the damage you would cause by betraying their trust.

Regards

Amit Varma

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More open letters here.

Dear Purba Dutt

Dear Purba Dutt

In a feature in the Sunday Times today, you refer to the IPL auctions as “human auctions”, and compare it to the slave trade. You invoke Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and speak of indentured labourers being sold in “a heartless transaction.” You miss something here.

Contrary to rhetoric, the cricketers were not on sale during the IPL auctions—their services were. The eight IPL franchises were effectively bidding for the services of the players as per contracts enabled by the BCCI that the players had willingly signed. This is quite unlike slavery—indeed, it is how you and me get by.

If you choose to leave the Times someday and look for a job, you will effectively put yourself on the market just as these cricketers did. You will evaluate prospective employers, and go to whoever makes you the most appealing offer. There may not be a formal auction setup for it, but it will effectively be just that: your services will be on offer, and different employers will bid for them.

So please, please, don’t compare this with the slave trade. Thank you.

Regards

Amit Varma

Ps. You might also want to read this.