BJP must intensify outreach

Refer to ‘BJP taking nothing for granted’ (Nous Indica); if the BJP wants to win a third consecutive term, it must strengthen its poll campaign at the grassroots level and try to reach out to every voter. PM Narendra Modi’s charisma will work, but the party must not depend solely on one leader to win the elections. The INDIA bloc is disintegrating, but its constituents will leave no stone unturned to put up a fight. The data disclosed by the SBI and uploaded by the ECI is telling. It remains to be seen how it will impact the outcome of the General Election.

Wg Cdr Cl Sehgal (retd), Jalandhar

Oppn should stay united

Apropos of ‘BJP taking nothing for granted’ (Nous Indica); the party’s strategists are aware that unless state-specific dynamics and issues are addressed, a one-size-fits-all national campaign would fail. Multi-pronged strategies will stand the BJP-led NDA in good stead for its target of winning 400-plus Lok Sabha seats. It is high time that all members of the INDIA bloc and others in the Opposition came together and fought unitedly. India needs not only a strong and stable dispensation in power at the Centre but also an equally mighty Opposition to hold the government to account whenever necessary.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

India has a long way to go

Refer to ‘India’s HDI improves’; though the United Nations has hailed India’s progress in HDI over the years, we still have a long way to go. India is lagging behind its neighbours like Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The nation needs to make steady progress on life expectancy, mean years of schooling and average incomes. There is a need to narrow the divide between the rich and the poor. India has shown progress in reducing gender inequality and ranks 108 on the Gender Inequality Index. But there is a tough road ahead of us. We must invest more in social infrastructure.

Bal Govind, Noida

Cash for favour

Apropos of the editorial ‘Electoral bonds’; the electoral bond data reveals the depth of corruption. It is safe to say that most donations were made in exchange for some sort of favour. The revelations about the donations made by the companies under the scanner of probe agencies raise questions about the reason that prompted them to purchase electoral bonds. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is trying to play down the quid pro quo between the donors and the recipients by dismissing the doubts as being based on ‘huge assumptions’. Who is going to stop the political leadership from extorting money from big firms in the name of donations?

Capt Amar Jeet (retd), Kharar

Scepticism should be encouraged

With reference to the middle ‘In praise of scepticism’, the problem is that scepticism is generally not encouraged in families. Children tend to believe what they are told by their parents. And when they grow up, they are easily taken in by the words of religious leaders or godmen. As far as myths and superstitions go, a lot of outlandish claims have been made about the benefits of cow urine that hordes of people do not even feel the need to question. Many people believe that the cow is the only animal that inhales and exhales oxygen. There are also some who think that the sun rises first in India. The need of the hour is to develop critical thinking skills. If people do not want to fall prey to myths and unscientific claims, they must learn to think on their own.

Anthony Henriques, Mumbai

Altruistic kidney donations

Around 17 per cent of the Indian population suffers from chronic kidney disease (CKD). Diabetes and hypertension are among the leading causes of the disease. When CKD develops into an end-stage renal disease, a kidney transplant is generally the recommended treatment option. The number of total eligible patients receiving kidney transplants remains low in India; this is a matter of concern. Altruistic kidney donations and non-near-relative swap transplantation can help address the issue. Further, international collaboration and strict vigilance to check the black marketeering of organs can help the cause.

Kartikeya Singh Chandel, Bilaspur

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