Lower premium amount

This refers to the editorial ‘health insurance’; it must be kept in mind that most senior citizens who retire from the private sector do not have the resources to pay hefty premiums. To ensure effective use of the facility offered by the IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India), the government must make arrangements to lower the premium amount by way of discontinuing GST on the sum for senior citizens; otherwise, the age concession will be of no use. Balancing compassionate care with fiscal responsibility will safeguard both patients and insurers.

CHANDER SHEKHAR SHARMA, Mohali

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No overreaction on Muizzu’s win

Apropos the editorial ‘Maldivian elections’; President Mohamed Muizzu had campaigned on the ‘India out’ theme and his government had asked for the minuscule number of Indian troops in the country to be withdrawn. Muizzu drew Male closer to Beijing by giving contracts for infrastructure projects. The Indian government has done well not to overreact to his party’s win and made an attempt to distance Male from New Delhi with a pragmatic approach. Delhi must, of course, draw the line on matters that undermine its security and core interests.

SS PAUL, Nadia

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Private investment in sports

With reference to the news report ‘Right move, Gukesh becomes youngest to contest world title’; Gukesh has shown that not only does he possess exceptional talent but also has a mature head on his shoulders. Since the beginning of 2024, the world’s top-ranked players have included Viswanathan Anand, Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and Vidit Gujrathi, which is testimony to the amazing chess talent in our country. The chess ecosystem in India is flourishing at a rapid pace, with young players from tier 2 and 3 cities playing really well. Private investment in any sport helps it to grow, and Tech Mahindra becoming a joint venture partner in the Global Chess League is a welcome step.

BAL GOVIND, Noida

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Insult to democracy

With reference to the news report ‘Mohinder Singh Kaypee third party-hopper to enter Jalandhar battle arena’; this opportunism is disgusting. Defection is an insult to the sacrifices of our freedom fighters and the people who lost their lives in the struggle for Independence. They fought to end the oppression of foreign rulers with a hope that they would achieve democracy where people would elect trustworthy leaders. When power-hungry leaders switch sides to other parties for personal gains, people feel cheated and democracy becomes a laughing stock.

FAQIR SINGH, Dasuya

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Election rhetoric

Refer to the news report ‘PM doubles down on anti-Cong pitch, claims it will seize, redistribute wealth’; election campaigns by political parties are justified, but only when they are fair and not polarising in nature. India does not need rhetoric from any party on the distribution of wealth. Once such links are made, the narrative around them can acquire a life of its own, far removed from the real issues. It is, however, true that the benefits of India’s brisk growth have been unevenly distributed under the rule of the Congress as well as the BJP. Adequate industrial jobs were not created. So, the shift from farm to factories on the scale required did not happen. This is the reason every political party is relying on offering welfare schemes to entice voters.

SATWANT KAUR PANESAR, by mail

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EC’s litmus test

The opinion polls of the first phase of polling have not exactly gone in favour of the BJP. In recent days, PM Modi has raised his pitch against the Congress. His remarks border on hate speech if one considers the guidelines laid down by the Election Commission. The Congress has rightly taken the matter to the poll panel. Uddhav Thackeray was sent a notice on using words like ‘Jai Bhawani’ in his party’s anthem, whereas when PM Modi urged people of Karnataka to say ‘Jai Bajrangbali’ while casting their vote, it was overlooked. In fact, it is a litmus test for the Election Commission to exhibit impartiality.

YASH KHETARPAL, PANCHKULA

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