Moral courage must guide EC

Refer to ‘Why EC was born before the Republic’; the Election Commission must present itself as an unblemished lotus in dirty water. The right to vote gets sullied when the neutrality of the constitutionally independent referee is questioned by the public. The celebration of the Constitution Day becomes more significant when allegations of ‘vote chori’ and other anomalies are getting highlighted. The responsibility of the election umpires is to let people elect and not select their representatives. Moral and constitutional courage, not political expedience, must guide the Election Commission. Even an iota of tilt towards the ruling regime threatens to undermine the wisdom of our Constitution’s founding fathers.

Abhyam Sharma, Pathankot

IPKF heroes deserve honour

With reference to ‘Op Pawan braves’; it is better late than never. It is praiseworthy that both the Army Chief and the Defence Minister paid homage to Param Vir Chakra awardee Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran. Any soldier who lays down his life in the line of duty deserves perpetual remembrance and honour. It is unfortunate that if Sri Lanka can have a memorial for the IPKF, including one at Palay (Jaffna) for the 10 Para regiment, why can’t we have the same for our soldiers in our country? A dedicated memorial must be built for the heroes of this forgotten war. Op Pawan was no less important than other operations in which soldiers lost their lives during the peacekeeping mission in Sri Lanka.

Bal Govind, Noida

Pakistan fumes at dhwajarohan

Infuriated over PM Modi hoisting a saffron flag at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Pakistan says this demonstrates discrimination against minorities in India. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said, “This new move reflects a larger pattern of pressure on religious minorities in India and a deliberate attempt to eradicate Muslim cultural and religious heritage, largely under the influence of Hindutva ideology.” Pakistan, which is preaching equality, must look at its own record of forced conversion of Christians, Hindus and Sikhs.

RK Arora, Mohali

No politics in religious matters

Refer to ‘A symbolic slip’; a visit by the Prime Minister to Anandpur Sahib would have soothed the Sikh community. There should be no place for politics in religious matters. His participation would have augured well for the BJP to cement its place in Punjab politics. However, the Prime Minister did speak eloquently about Guru Tegh Bahadur at Kurukshetra. A photograph published in newspapers showing Punjab Congress president Raja Warring and AAP MLA Gurmeet Singh Hayer walking hand in hand was a perfect example of bonhomie between two parties.

Ravinder Kumar Jain, Ludhiana

Voters need help desks

The Election Commission’s new online voter registration system in West Bengal is a welcome step, but it may unintentionally exclude rural and less tech-savvy citizens who lack stable Internet access or digital skills. For true inclusivity, the commission must strengthen on-ground support through help desks, local outreach and simple easy-to-use offline options so that digital progress does not leave behind the very voters it aims to empower.

Pragya Paliwal, by mail

Where AI fails

Artificial intelligence is becoming smarter every day — writing stories, making art and even helping in daily tasks. What is significant here is AI can recognise words, but it cannot feel the emotion or the hidden wit behind them. This reminds us that no matter how advanced technology becomes, it cannot replace the human touch that makes conversations warm and humour meaningful. In a world worried about machines taking over creativity, it is reassuring that genuine laughter, quick wit and shared smiles remain something only humans can create and feel.

Parul Rana, Zirakpur