This refers to the editorial, “Mayhem in Mathura” (June 6). The problem of encroachment is acute and not limited to Uttar Pradesh but widespread across the country. Public land can be grabbed because a stone idol found (or placed) at the base of a tree heralds the arrival of a divine presence, and the land around the tree becomes a site for the faithful to congregate. Public land can also be grabbed by brute force as it happened in Mathura.
At the first sign of such violations, the authorities are duty-bound to act and evict encroachers. In light of this, the events in Mathura should not surprise us. Nor should they lead to finger-pointing or lend weight to political charges. For there isn't one political party in the country that is not guilty of offering space to obscurantist groups that gather around a central personality and take the law into their hands. Unless we confront the demon of irrationality within us, many more Mathuras await us.