Refer to ‘Poll din gets louder in Punjab’ (The Great Game); politics is the art of the possible, and the main players in the state will leave no stone unturned to defeat their rivals in the Assembly polls. This time, it is not going to be a cakewalk for any political party. The civic poll results show that the people of Punjab do not have many complaints against the AAP government. Yet this cannot be considered the complete truth. Assembly and civic elections have different dynamics and voting patterns. Politics is a game of unexpected alliances.
Raj Bahadur Yadav, Fatehabad
Punjab needs purposeful leaders
With reference to ‘Poll din gets louder in Punjab’; the state today stands at a defining juncture. An ill-conceived electoral mandate could aggravate Punjab’s mounting crises. With debt likely to surpass Rs 4 lakh crore, along with unemployment, agrarian distress, synthetic drugs, cross-border drone intrusions and rapidly depleting groundwater, the state urgently needs purposeful governance. The electorate must vote with prudence and foresight. Populism, freebies and emotional rhetoric cannot rescue Punjab from the quagmire of economic stagnation.
Vijay Kumar Katial, Panchkula
Demolish Pak’s proxy warfare
Apropos of ‘Limits of coercive diplomacy with Pak’; expecting any fundamental change in Pakistan’s behaviour through episodic retaliation alone may not yield lasting results. In the prevailing nuclear environment, large-scale military escalation carries significant risks. India’s response should focus on imposing sustained and multidimensional costs on the infrastructure that supports proxy warfare. Given Pakistan’s strategic and economic partnerships with its longstanding allies, India must adopt a realistic and long-term strategy.
MM Goel, Kurukshetra
Overcome practical difficulties
Refer to ‘Delayed verdicts’; the underlying causes of long-pending judgments to be addressed on priority. The practical aspect should be understood first. Apart from the heavy workload, there are a large number of matters listed for the day that are complicated, requiring lengthy hearings. This has a cascading effect on all types of cases, including simpler ones. The number of judges should be increased, their verdicts monitored and necessary steps taken, but the maxim ‘justice hurried is justice buried’ must not be ignored.
GS Anand, Panchkula
SIR verdict timing debatable
The Supreme Court has exonerated the ECI from all its blatant commissions and omissions in implementing the SIR, despite serious objections raised by the Opposition and the common man against the skewed manner in which the election body proceeded with its implementation in election-bound states. The apex court preferred to remain a silent spectator till the elections were over and after allowing the ECI to achieve its goals, the SC has now come out with an unexpected judgment. Doesn’t it amount to closing the stable door after the horses have bolted? Anguished over the lop-sided verdict of the SC, senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan has rightly called it a dark verdict.
Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai
Doctors made scapegoats
Refer to ‘Haryana sex ratios and society’; it is the medieval mindset which is responsible for the lower birth rate of girls as compared to that of boys. Suspending doctors holding them responsible for the skewed sex ratio in the state is unjustified as they alone cannot be held responsible. This issue is to be addressed efficiently by all stakeholders. A consistent multi-pronged strategy will definitely help.
Ravinder Kumar Jain, Ludhiana
