No winner, no loser

THE announcement by PM Modi to repeal the farm laws in the Winter Session is a step forward and a big relief to the agitating farmers. In defence of the three laws, Modi termed it as a boon for small and marginal farmers, yet conceded failure in allaying the fear of the minuscule farmer community spearheading the current anti-law movement. As the major demand of the farmers has been met, they should call off the protest. Political parties should refrain from overplaying the issue for electoral gains. None is victor or loser. It is the victory of the democratic rights of the people.

Anil Vinayak, Amritsar

Victory at last

The belief that electoral considerations govern every political decision in India today stands vindicated. The decision to repeal the contentious farm laws, though taken with crucial state elections in mind, must be welcomed as a victory of the peaceful and sustained agitation of farmers who braved all odds and provocations. It must dawn upon every ruling dispensation that public opinion matters and cannot be ignored for long. Democracy is strengthened by rapprochement. An agitation, for any cause and by any section of society, can succeed only if it is carried out peacefully and patiently. You cannot always destroy a movement by dividing people on communal lines or by maligning it. Now, the government must ensure that MSP is there for as many crops as possible to enable the farmers, especially of Punjab and Haryana, to come out of the water-guzzling paddy and wheat circle that threatens to turn our land barren in a few decades. Farmer unions should also adopt a mechanism to guide their members as to what to sow and how much in a region/state so that there is a balance in demand and supply to rule out losses.

HL Sharma, Amritsar

On expected lines

There were murmurs that before the elections in Punjab and UP, some concrete declaration may appear regarding the contentious agriculture laws. Farmer leaders should welcome the gesture of PM Modi, and also be wary of self-styled activists who seem to be motivated more by their animus against the government rather than the welfare of the farmers. The farmers should quit when the going is good.

Yash Pal Ralhan, Jalandhar

Pressure on NGOs

The NDA dispensation’s crackdown on foreign-funded NGOs is unfortunate and undemocratic (‘Targeting civil society’). Unlike successive Indian governments, it regards these organisations with deeper suspicion and has tried to curb their activities on one pretext or the other for their criticism of its unjust policies and lackadaisical performance, particularly on human rights and global warming. From time to time, the saffron regime has been framing rules, placing more discretionary powers in the hands of bureaucrats. The passage of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020, has increased compliance burden on such civil society bodies and is hampering their work. The government and its agencies should uphold the spirit of the Constitution as it is vital to individual freedom and holistic development of the country.

DS Kang, Hoshiarpur

Another lead by Sikhs

Once again, Sikh religion has risen to the occasion, offering gurdwara premises for ‘ibadat’. Various gurdwaras had swiftly set up ‘oxygen langar’ during the second Covid wave. Examples of Sikh ‘sewa’ are spread across the world. The Gurugram committee has reminded us that no one has to show Aadhaar card to partake of langar and neither will anybody have to show it to offer namaz. Gurdwara leaders have said giving a shoulder to harassed religious minorities is about uniting the nation. What the state should have provided is being offered by gurdwaras.

SANJAY CHOPRA, MOHALI

The mighty pen

It is true that great thoughts have been penned down on paper rather than in print (‘Not just a pen, but a blessing’). Hand-written letters of Gandhi and Nehru added a new dimension to writing. Without these lofty ideas, the world would have lost a repository of precious knowledge. Past and present are intertwined in our lives, like a letter and an envelope. Writing is an art that helps realise our imaginative skills to the fullest. I remember writing with a fountain pen to relatives and friends, thereby strengthening our emotional and personal bonds. But, it changed with technology invasion. Although life is fast, it is lifeless. It can never match the joy of preserving a hand-written letter. Even now, when I go through the contents of my letters, it evokes nostalgia and emotional satisfaction which no other medium of communication can replicate. The pen should remain mightier even in this age of electronic surfeit.

Vijay Singh Adhikari, Nainital

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