How could they fail?

Reference to the article ‘I die every day…’ (May 26); 45 crore Indians were not taken into consideration while planning and executing the lockdown. These workers were let to suffer on roads and deprived of their rights provided by the Constitution and safeguarded by the Supreme Court. We have IAS officers who can write the longest essays on such situations and ‘wisely’ reflect on ideas to handle everything very carefully. How could they fail? How about our leaders who have vast experience?

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Vishal Sapehia, Kangra

Nepal’s hostility

Apropos of ‘India, Nepal need to ignore disruptive ploys’ (May 26), the Kali river dispute has survived the past. Geographically, according to the ‘written documents of Treaty of Sugauli’, Nepal is correct. But after 1817, knowing the strategic importance of the area, the British included it in Indian maps, which was duly accepted by the then Raja of Nepal. Hence logically and historically, India stands correct. The Indian Army has been guarding this area since the 1960s, which Nepal has now termed as an encroachment. This is not right. The issue should be resolved with bilateral talks. India has always supported Nepal and will continue to do so.

Anshika Sharma, Mohali

Flying protocol

The domestic airlines resumed services after two months, but both flyers and airlines have to tide over significant barriers along the way (‘630 flights cancelled on first day’, May 26). The passengers were hit hard by unstable schedules and abrupt cancellation of flights. The complications in the wake of doubts and ambivalence harboured by the states over allowing the inbound flights have hampered the travel operations. The capping of number of flights to operate in some of the busiest airports like Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata, with varying quarantine protocols adopted by various states, is proving to be a dampener. Fear of imported cases is genuine, but walling off completely can’t be an option, if the economy is to restart. States consistently complain about the tanking of revenues during lockdown, and then, contradict it by worrying over the risk of reopening the economy. Transport and unhindered movement of people, commodities and services are the lifeline of the economy. A new normal isn’t possible without reasonable compromises in these areas. The fear psychosis, stemming from unpreparedness, can’t be an excuse.

N Sadhasiva Reddy, via mail

Hockey legend

The passing away of hockey legend Balbir Singh Senior has left the nation in grief. He debuted in the 1948 Olympics and scored two goals in the final. The team won its first Olympics gold medal after India’s independence. At the victory ceremony, he said, ‘When the Tricolour was being hoisted, I felt like I too was flying with the flag.’ What a chaste feeling. This triumph was just the beginning of an era. None could emulate him even after seven decades. The nation will remember him forever. RIP Balbir Singh Saheb.

Gurdeep S Dhamrait, Dharampur

Fake degree racket

It is a matter of grave concern that 58 lawyers had fake degrees (May 26). Just anyone can enter the profession, there being no strict norms to join it. Such lawyers would promote underhand dealings to realise their ends. Strict action needs to be taken against such cheats and imposters after a thorough probe to stem the rot. It is only the tip of the iceberg. A law minister was convicted of possessing a fake law degree. The degree of a senior police officer from Punjab was found bogus and so on. An inquiry by the MHRD on the directions of the Central Vigilance Commission in 2017 found the law degree of a woman employee of an educational institute in Chandigarh bogus. Instead of action, the said employee was retired from the service in connivance with others. It appears that the fake degree racket in the country is too strong to bring them to book.

GS Bhatia, Mohali

Tread cautiously

Reference to the editorial ‘Chinese posturing’ (May 26), at a time demands for accountability run afoul of China’s cover-up of the Covid-19 pandemic and India’s alarming surge in coronavirus cases, pressure is being mounted to include Taiwan in the WHO. But in view of China’s pressure on Nepal to up the ante with India over its new road-building venture at Lipulekh Pass, and India’s stance of never recognising Taiwan as a separate nation, New Delhi has to take a cautious approach, so that it does not antagonise China right now.

SS Paul, via mail

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