Agencies must act without bias

With reference to the editorial ‘Battleground Bengal’; the recent attack on the NIA team at Bhupatinagar in West Bengal’s East Midnapore district shows that the authorities are not dealing with the miscreants with an iron hand. And the lack of action emboldens anti-social elements to attack officials of agencies like the NIA. The state politicians are more concerned about securing their vote banks than the safety of the residents. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, it is important to ensure that there is no political interference in the functioning of the state police. Further, government agencies like the ED and the NIA must have no bias against any political outfit.

Rajinder Singh, Patiala

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Ensure safety of tourists

Refer to the editorial ‘Safety protocol lax’; the death of Ritu Chopra, a seasoned paragliding pilot, has once again brought to light the lack of proper safety measures at Bir Billing, a popular destination for paragliding. Since the weather conditions in hilly areas are always unpredictable, there should be comprehensive regulations for the recruitment of pilots and safety guidelines to prevent mishaps. All illegal constructions in the area should be razed. The onus is on the authorities concerned to ensure that the adventures of tourists at Bir Billing do not take a tragic turn.

Harshita Kalra, Rajpura

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Bar erring paragliding operators

Apropos of ‘Safety protocol lax’; the fact that even an experienced paragliding pilot could not save her life in the mishap is a commentary on the sorry state of affairs in Bir Billing. The difficult topography, coupled with unpredictable weather conditions, makes paragliding a lot more challenging in the terrain. The safety of the paragliders must remain the top priority for the local agencies. A strict enforcement of international standard operating procedures for paragliding should be the way forward. Besides, the authorities concerned should ensure that, in case of violation, the operator or agency is barred.

Bal Govind, Noida

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Hate on campus

Six students from Afghanistan and one from East Africa were recently asked to vacate the Gujarat University’s hostel rooms for overstaying, in a move that came weeks after some foreign students were attacked for offering namaz on the premises. The incident could have been averted if tolerance and respect for other religions had been promoted on campus. It is common for Indians to express concern and sympathy for students from our country being discriminated against or targeted abroad. But how are we treating international students here at home? Religious tolerance is the need of the hour.

Lajwant Singh, by mail

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Silence of AAP MPs

Refer to the report ‘Five AAP MPs keep mum on Kejri arrest, leaders baffled’; all MPs of a political party are bound to follow its agenda and promote its interests at the national level. The silence of these Rajya Sabha members amid the crisis being faced by the party has baffled AAP leaders and legislators. AAP is struggling to establish itself as a formidable political force at the national level, and the role of its MPs in helping achieve the objective cannot be overstated.

Jagdish Chander, Jalandhar

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Scourge of defections

It has become increasingly common for political leaders to switch parties whenever they see any electoral benefit. It shows that today’s politicians are bereft of any ideology. Even big names in the political arena are not above hopping parties, and it proves that they have not worked at the ground level and lack a mass base. Besides, a lot of capable and educated people who are socially aware do not get to contest an election because of the huge sum of money required for a campaign. Even if there is a changing of the guard, power is generally transferred from one political bigwig to another. There is a need to have more people from a humble background in politics, as they would better understand the problems that the common man faces.

Rajesh Goyal, by mail

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These should be cogently written and can be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]

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