MyVoice: Views of our readers - 6 jan

Anti-CAA protests ludicrous

This is with reference to the report 'Huge rally by civil society denounces CAA, NRC' (Jan 5). Kudos to the people of pearl city for protesting against the CAA and the NRC peacefully. In a democracy, everyone has the right to express their dissent without resorting to violence.

Many Islamic organisations have been protesting against the CAA for the last one month. But it is ludicrous to challenge the CAA as it is not related in any way to Indian citizens.

There is no question of overriding the secularism as many protesters believe and it is too early to protest against the NRC as the criteria for it is yet to be formulated. Indian minorities should call it a day to their protests.

Misguided youth are just jumping on the bandwagon without knowing or knowing little about the Act. No one is asking Indian Muslims to leave the country and the Opposition leaders should stop distorting the truth for their vote bank politics.

Vinayaka M, Bengaluru

Repeal discriminatory law

The Citizenship Amendment Act, which replaces the earlier prohibition of all illegal migrants from acquiring Indian citizenship, now provides a fast track to citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India before 2015.

the law seeks to alter India's secular character enshrined in the Constitution by being applicable only to members of certain religions only. In its defence, the State has argued that the law is based on intelligible differentiation and reasonable classification.

The government has said that the law is meant to benefit persecuted religious minorities in India's neighbourhood – even though it excludes some of the region's most embattled groups such as the Ahmediyas in Pakistan, the Rohingyas of Myanmar and the Tamils of Sri Lanka.

With the Citizenship Amendment Act now a law, the National Register of Citizens signals another exercise of legalising illegalities. In the guise of weeding out illegal immigrants, it will enable State-orchestrated harassment and targeting of Indian Muslims.

After all, members of any other group that is left out of the register will be considered a refugee and offered a path to citizenship. Only Muslims have been denied this safeguard. This amounts to murder of secularism.

Raju MA, Hyderabad

War brings only deaths and destructions

The killing of Iran's top general and head of elite Quds force Quassem Soleimani at Baghdad International Airport by US drone strike is a heinous act.

The killing of Quassem Soleimani was against all international law. The international community should together condemn against the atrocious act. Soleimani was regarded as hero of Iran.

He was brave and was loved by people of Iran. Killing of Soleimani is an irresponsible step that will lead to increased tensions throughout the Middle East. Iran's supreme leader Al Hosseini Khomenei warned that "a harsh retaliation is waiting".

Brigadier General Esmail Ghani said, "Be patient and you will see the bodies of Americans all over the Middle East. Donald trump has warned that America will target Iran's cultural sites, if Iran attacks US in retaliation of Soleimani's killing.

Now words uttered by above these leaders prove that there will be definitely destruction in Iran and America. Due to tussle between America and Iran, definitely peace will be destroyed in America and Iran.

Why don't these leaders understand that war only bring death and destruction.

Zeeshaan, Kazipet