Affecting livelihoods in the Northeast

Apropos of ‘Land, coal & corruption: NE’s battles’; the mining industry plays a crucial role in boosting Indian economy. However, it is underscored by a long list of abuses and disasters due to bad policies, weak institutions, corruption and inadequate government oversight and regulation. The authorities concerned cheat public institutions out of vast revenues that could have otherwise bolstered the provision of health, education and other basic services. Government watchdogs stand as mute spectators while unregulated mining operations threaten the health, livelihoods and environment of entire communities. There is a need to evolve a new assessment process with a clear focus on humanitarian concerns and other community impacts.

Vaibhav Goyal, Chandigarh

Uphold civility in debate

Refer to ‘Not done’; Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Justice B Sudershan Reddy’s 2011 judgment in the Salwa Judum case are unfortunate. The Supreme Court had ruled that arming untrained tribal youths as special police officers was unconstitutional; it never forbade the State from fighting Maoists. To misinterpret this as support for Naxalism unfairly questions judicial integrity and undermines public trust. Leaders must avoid personal attacks and uphold civility in debate. Disagreements with judgments should be expressed through reasoned arguments, not accusations. A dignified discourse is vital for preserving both institutional independence and democratic values.

Naresh Kumar Nijhawan, karnal

Maligning Oppn’s V-P candidate

Apropos of ‘Not done’; to rake up a verdict delivered 14 years ago merely to malign a former Supreme Court judge, now the Opposition’s vice-presidential candidate, is wholly unjustified. The ruling regarding Salwa Judum, a state-backed armed group, never endorsed Naxalism; it affirmed that only the State may wield arms. Justice Reddy aptly clarified that the verdict was delivered by the Bench, not him alone. Public discourse should include holding civilised debates with due respect to institutions and avoiding personal attacks.

Harbinder S Dhillon, Una

All disabilities not genuine

Refer to ‘A soldier must not be fighting the state’; the concern about disabled soldiers being denied disability pension is well-taken, but all disability cases are not genuine. Some unscrupulous defence personnel manage a fake disability prior to their retirement to enjoy undeserved benefits. Some show a disability to avail tax-free pension. Such cases raise doubts in the mind of the sanctioning authorities, prompting adverse decisions. While genuine cases should be decided speedily, the authorities have to weed out fake cases.

Wg Cdr CL Sehgal (Retd), Jalandhar

Vance’s illogical justification

Apropos of the news story ‘Trump using secondary tariffs on India to force Russia to stop war’; the logic put forth by US Vice-President JD Vance to justify “secondary tariffs” on India reminds one of an old story. A person was searching for something under a lamppost on a road. When prodded, he said he had lost something and was searching for it there because there was no electricity at his home. Similarly, the US is levying more tariffs on India instead of China, which is the highest importer of crude oil from Russia. Vance asserted that the US could broker an end to war between Russia and Ukraine. Levying secondary tariffs on India for attaining that objective defies logic. Vance’s statement indicates that he is confused like Trump.

Upendra Sharma, by mail

Private employers’ insensitivity

Due to incessant rain in recent days, roads and highways in and around Jalandhar are submerged in water, causing problems for commuters travelling to their workplaces. Private firms have disregarded the inability of employees to reach their offices and are demanding that they reach at any cost. They clearly oversee human concerns and want to impose a fake sense of discipline. Who will be responsible if a mishap happens? They do not even agree to the work-from-home option. The wellbeing of employees is a shared responsibility. The government must frame rules to curb brazen high-handedness by private firms.

Muskan Syal, Jalandhar Cantt