Meek capitulation

Apropos of ‘For Punjab’s sake (Nous Indica)’; the police committed a blunder by agreeing to the demand for the release of radical leader Amritpal Singh’s aide. The state government under the leadership of Bhagwant Mann should have shown guts and tackled the case in a firm way. The authorities simply capitulated before the violent mob. This only showed lack of courage. It is a welcome sign that the Central government is keeping an eye on all incidents taking place in Punjab. Besides, all political parties in the state should come together and play a constructive role so that such anti-national elements do not run riot in future.

Ravinder Kumar Jain, Ludhiana

Save Punjab

Refer to ‘For Punjab’s sake’; the article shows that Punjab is in a mess. It has rightly pinned the blame on the Central and state governments. Why Amritpal is being treated with kid gloves both by the Central agencies and the state police? No action by the Central agencies lends credence to the suspicion that Amritpal is the Centre’s stooge planted to destabilise the AAP government. There is no reason to treat Amritpal with such unusual leniency when his acts of insurgency make out a fit case to invoke the UAPA and the sedition law which are generally invoked against political adversaries to settle scores. The Centre and the state government should work in tandem to save Punjab.

Roshan Lal Goel, Ladwa

EC appointments

Refer to ‘Panel on EC appointments’; strangely, these important appointments are not governed by any law enacted by Parliament. But the same selection procedure that has come under attack has thrown up some eminent men of immense integrity and uprightness as CEC like TN Seshan. Holding free and fair elections in a large democracy like ours is a gigantic task that has been accomplished by the Election Commission quite satisfactorily, if not excellently. The SC verdict favouring a committee to select the CEC and ECs also seems to suggest, at least by implication, that even the HC and SC judges be appointed by such a committee. If the appointment of the CEC and ECs cannot be the exclusive right of the executive, the judges’ appointment too cannot be the exclusive right of the judiciary. A judicial commission, comprising all stakeholders, should, therefore, be set up to appoint judges.

Wg Cdr CL Sehgal (Retd), Jalandhar

Nepotism in judiciary

The panel on EC appointments will increase transparency in appointments, paving the way for a democratic polity. A similar process should be adopted for judicial appointments on the lines of the NJAC system. When the judiciary can look into every matter, there should be some kind of check on the judiciary too. Nepotism in the judiciary must be curbed. The judiciary derives powers from the Constitution and thus, it is also subject to the will of the public. There is an urgent need for a specialised system to appoint judges on merit. The collegium system is an opaque system of appointment.

Abhimanyu, Chandigarh

Delay in justice delivery

Refer to ‘Hathras verdict’; there is an alarming increase in crimes against women, especially rape cases, in India. One of the main reasons for this is lack of apt punishment for the accused. Besides, the slow pace of justice delivery by the courts exacerbates the problem. In the Hathras case, the judgment took more than two years, and even then it was biased. Despite being a gangrape, only one perpetrator was sentenced to life imprisonment, while others were acquitted. Such biased judgments send a wrong message to criminals and embolden them to continue committing crimes. Furthermore, due to the lengthy legal process, people often forget the case. Quick and decisive judgments would serve as a deterrent to criminals and help reduce the crime rate.

Saheli Chatterjee, West BengaL

Contract farming a boon

Refer to ‘Ensure price guarantee under contract farming’; according to the article, the companies provide chicks, feed, medicines and veterinary and technical advice. Another major input is missed, that is marketing. When a company is doing so much, the only thing left for farmers to do is to manage day-to-day operations. It gives them ample free time. If they are not happy with the pricing, they are free to sell their goods elsewhere. It is mainly the secure sales and returns on money that draw farmers to contract farming. Contract farming is a big boon for farmers. The government can only assure a fair deal to farmers so that they are not exploited by unscrupulous elements.

Suman Kuplish, Ludhiana

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