Bandh not a good idea

Apropos of ‘Ahead of Bharat bandh, PM says reforms must, outdated laws a burden’, in the time of the Covid-induced lockdown, we faced a lot of difficulties when Bharat was not properly ‘bandh’. We are now inviting trouble by taking the decision of a nationwide shutdown. Wearing a protest T-shirt is the easiest form of protest. The farmers’ protest has taken a political shape. Farmers and all members of the Opposition stand against the decision on farm laws. John Thibault rightly said, ‘Issues transcend boundaries, but voters do not.’

MOHIT MOR, JIND

In favour of growers

The farm laws promulgated by the Centre are benevolent in intent and intelligible in content. The objective of these laws is simple, to provide farmers with more freedom. The farmers have misunderstood the legislation as seeking to abolish the APMC system and the MSP regime. Both these positions are half-baked. The reality is that farmers still retain the right to sell within mandis established by the APMCs. The laws only provide them with the choice to sell their produce outside the precincts of those mandis to firms for higher prices. Regarding MSP, the government has assured that the policy would not be scrapped. Despite this assurance, the deadlock does not seem to end. The only solution seems to be for the government to pursue communicating with the farmers to address their concerns.

Nissim Aggarwal, Chandigarh

Punjab rises again

The ongoing agitation against agrarian laws has shifted the focus in Punjab from a plethora of ills like drugs, suicides and exodus of youth to foreign shores. Once again, Punjab has played a pivotal role and inspired the whole country. Big or small in size, Punjab is a phenomenon almost like the Ganga, described by Nehru — ‘A narrow, slow and graceful stream in winter, and a vast roaring thing during the monsoon, broad-bosomed almost as the sea, and with something of the sea’s power to destroy, the Ganga has been to me a symbol and a memory of the past of India, running into the present, and flowing on to the great ocean of the future.’

Basant Singh Brar, Bathinda

Not fair to farmers

Refer to ‘Thought for the Day’; the Dalai Lama is right that peace can last only where rights are respected. Rights are being violated and the result is there for all to see. There is chaos, violence, agitation, allegations etc. India is among the most resourceful countries, with plenty of minerals, forests, natural gas, diamonds, solar energy etc. Every year, our farmers grow unlimited grains and cash crops. Tonnes of grains rot due to inadequate storage facilities. Sometimes, they are forced to dump their produce on roads because they don’t get returns for their hard work. What a mockery! Farmers are not indulging in politics because no one can force them to face water cannons in biting cold, and lathis. Nobody shuns the warmth of their home just to pass time in the name of politics.

SAROJ BANYAL, HAMIRPUR

End stalemate

Apropos of ‘Now, politicians make beeline’, and the surrender of honours and awards, the ongoing farmers’ struggle is unique in many ways. It reminds us of the chapters of freedom struggle when moderate and revolutionary leaders, the young and the old, women and children, fought a ‘do or die’ battle to get freedom by means of peaceful Satyagraha, surrender of honours and titles, boycott of foreign-made goods, and through revolutionary activities. The farmers’ agitation is also getting huge moral and financial support from individuals and organisations from all walks of life. Politicians have started rushing to Delhi to cash in on the movement. No party can afford to lag behind at this crucial juncture. A majority of the politicians have no sympathy with anyone. In the garb of their so-called concern for the annadata, they are indulging in vote-bank politics. So far, the farmers have kept them at bay, which indicates their lack of faith in parties. It will be in the interest of the ruling regime to end the stalemate as early as possible, not only in the interest of the annadata, but also in the interest of the nation as a whole.

VK Syal, Sangrur

Modifying weather

Refer to ‘China weather modification’; the state council has announced its plan to expand the system which would enable it to control weather conditions. It would not just affect India, it would impact the ecology of the world. In India, we plant trees for our future to maintain rainfall. In China, they do cloud modification. Weather modification is a new threat and unacceptable. Experimenting with Mother Nature would be a disaster.

BHANAV SHARMA, CHANDIGARH

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