Celebrating pluralism

Reference to ‘Govt faced with protests that are not dying down’ (The Sunday Tribune, Reflections, Jan 26); Muslim women’s voice has been gaining strength and finding support. They have asserted their Indianness by joining protests led by the students in various parts of the country. It is a celebration of India’s diversity and pluralism. The Modi government will have to rethink its politics if this collaboration of citizens from a diverse background continues to consolidate. This can have lasting consequences for our multi-faith and multi-cultural democracy.

PS KAUR, by mail

Pushing their agenda

The protests against the CAA and NRC have caused a huge jolt to the ruling government (‘Govt faced with protests that are not dying down’, Jan 26). The statements given by the Home Minister to implement the CAA, come what may, are seen as the government’s frustration. The nation is in turmoil: J&K issue, CAA protests, economic slowdown, unemployment and the downgrade of our democracy. There is need to find a solution to bring back normalcy for the development of the country. The egoistic approach towards imposing unpopular agendas cannot achieve any purpose. Parties are elected by the people to govern them for their betterment, and not for a particular party’s agenda or ideology.

Wg Cdr Jasbir S Minhas (retd), Mohali

Acid use in school

Apropos ‘Pupil cleaning school toilets gets acid burns’, it speaks of loose administration and perfunctory display of duties of a teacher. The plea that students were cleaning toilets may be forgiven on the plea of a lesson in labour, but indiscriminate use of acid is inexcusable. Times have changed, and so should change the pedagogical skills of a teacher. There is a dire need to not only update the teacher education programme in terms of duties and social sensitivity, but the heads should also be made to take part in an induction programme before holding office. The administration should also provide contingent expenditure for cleaning toilets and the school campus.

S Kumar, Panchkula

Don’t influence them

In a twist to the Elgar Parishad-Koregaon Bhima case, the Union Home Ministry has transferred the probe to the NIA, which reports to the Centre. Police investigations and judicial cases should not become a political football between the Centre and states. Not only does this undermine justice, it also puts strain on the federal setup. Law and order is a state subject. The NIA does have the power to suo motu take over cases, but it wasn’t envisioned that the agency would exercise this option without keeping states in the loop. In an era of hyper-polarisation, such powers need to be exercised carefully. A breakdown of the Centre-state relations is in no one’s interest, certainly not the nation’s.

SANJAY CHOPRA, MOHALI

Wooing Assam

Refer to ‘Govt to sign pact with Bodo militant group’ (Jan 26); the initiative will benefit the tribal people on the political and economic front. After a hard and brutal NRC programme, the government is again trying to woo the people of Assam.

SAKSHI MATHUR, DEHRADUN

Lagging in sports

Refer to ‘World of sport has been zooming ahead, we’re laggards’ (Jan 26); when India gained freedom, despite poverty and limited resources, the country managed to win in the Asian Games. Every player was given proper training. Lack of awareness couldn’t stop our players from winning. Every sport was treated as important. But now, we haven’t really moved forward. Only a few players are famous, that too because they have won medals through their own hard work. We are lacking somewhere. The government must provide good infrastructure for sports in small towns too.

Sugandha Jain, by mail

Probe delay

Refer to the Republic Day gift to Chandigarh by the Governor and UT Administrator; hope in the race to ‘manufacture’ more doctors, it is essential to ensure the best practices of digital planning and sustainability. However, it is regretted that a project in the hi-tech areas of medical architecture and healthcare engineering approved for Chandigarh has not been started for the last so many years in PGI, though the Governor and VC of PU have offered all help for joint degree programmes. Named the National Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Architecture, it is ready to start tomorrow if the ministry concerned confirms a budget of Rs 3.3 crore per year for two master courses for the first time in India. The delay needs to be probed.

JC Mehta, Sydney

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