Accept govt’s offer

Talks with the government regarding the farm laws have yielded little. Though the government is ready to amend the laws, as demanded, it is reluctant to repeal them. In view of a deadlock, farmers should think of finding a middle ground. The government has been making conciliatory gestures, but it is stopping short of scrapping the law. Efforts should be made in right earnest to resolve the problem at the earliest.

Jaswant Singh, Chandigarh

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Fight for MSP

Two points are to be made regarding the demand for MSP: wages are protected under the Minimum Wages Act in India since 1948. Why can’t there be a legal protection for MSP for farm produce? Secondly, companies don’t even pass on the benefits of reduction in corporate tax or GST to the consumers, as directed by the government. How can we expect them to pay a fair price to the farmers in the absence of a law protecting the MSP?

Rakesh Rai, by mail

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Taking Dhaka for granted

At a virtual meeting with Sheikh Hasina, PM Modi emphasised that Bangladesh was a major pillar of India’s Neighbourhood First policy. India-Bangladesh bonds have steadily grown stronger. This is exemplified by increasing connectivity, investment and sub-regional cooperation under the BBIN initiative. Taking this momentum further, the virtual meeting saw the two sides ink seven agreements and revive the cross-border rail link that was snapped during the 1965 war with Pakistan. However, China is also trying to increase its footprint in Bangladesh with investment plans. Bangladesh has joined China’s BRI. Pakistan has also been looking to revive its ties with Bangladesh. Given this, India shouldn’t take its ties with Bangladesh for granted. Issues such as the CAA and NRC have created a negative impression. Harping on them for domestic political purposes can jeopardise mutual ties. India must not let political rhetoric derail diplomatic gains.

SK Singh, by mail

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Strive for peace

Reference to ‘Capturing entire gamut of India’s wars’; after every war, recommendations are tabulated about weak points and how to avoid the chinks in future. That results in an enormous drain on the economy for security issues which are actually non-productive. Growth and development of the nation is adversely affected due to wars. We may start with our region so that people live in prosperity, and later expand the sphere of such endeavours to rule out hostility.

Subhash Vaid, New Delhi

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Truth is out

Refer to ‘On track to justice’; isn’t it shocking and shameful that all this is happening in the state headed by CM Yogi Adityanath? What message is the state government giving where a 19-year-old Hathras girl succumbed to gangrape and was cremated in the dead of night against her family’s wishes? It smacks of burying the truth rather than bringing the guilty to book.

Prem Singh, by mail

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Ensuring law and order

The confirmation by the CBI that the 19-year-old Hathras victim was gangraped unmasks the complicity of the UP police in burying the truth and shielding the perpetrators. When the protests erupted, the theory of conspiracy was floated. Attempts were made to stigmatise the victim’s family and their sympathisers. The state government should ensure justice for the victim's family by acting firmly against those out to create lawlessness.

Roshan Lal Goel, Ladwa

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Some fight left

The Left in Kerala must be envied for the strength and cohesion of its cadre that helped it tackle the visitations of nature and win handsomely in the recent local bodies’ elections. The Indian Left, evolving as part of the Congress around 1920, veered and lost ground in 1928, to move back towards the Centre. Swinging towards Marxism in 1942, it lost lustre and re-allied with the Congress in the 1960s. Then its rigidity over the nuclear deal with the US led to its isolation and the loss of Bengal and Tripura. At a crucial juncture of a near-existential crisis, the pragmatic Kerala Left, in turning progressive, could yet reanimate the Left movement.

R Narayanan, Navi Mumbai

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Saving fish

Apropos of ‘Golden Mahseer saved from extinction in HP’, it is a good initiative. Because of human greed, many fish species are on the verge of extinction. In Peru, a huge reservoir was created and some varieties of fish that were facing extinction were nurtured. Such measures can be taken in our country too.

Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad

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