Nothing to say

Apropos of ‘Lynching indefensible’, two incidents of lynching in two days raise big worries over the law and order situation in Punjab. The Golden Temple incident caught on camera looks like an attempt to commit sacrilege, but political leaders are calling it a conspiracy. The subsequent incident at Kapurthala gives more heft to the conspiracy angle, but the brazen lynching of the suspects is a vile crime. Mob violence is unacceptable. Punjab politicians and the SGPC have rightly condemned the sacrilege attempts, but their stunning silence on the lynchings is chilling. The failure to hand over the suspects to the police has prevented the justice system from trying and awarding punishment. The police must be given a free hand to investigate both the sacrilege and lynching incidents. The Punjab Government led by CM Charanjit Singh Channi faces a litmus test.

EL SINGH, by mail

Why so quiet?

In the politically surcharged atmosphere, no political leader or party has uttered a single word of sympathy for the victims of lynchings at the Golden Temple and in Kapurthala district (‘Lynchings indefensible’). The young man who crossed over the railing in the Amritsar incident should have been handed over to the police after he was caught by sewadars. He could have been interrogated to know the motive behind his misdemeanour. But instead of this, the crowd lynched him, which was shameful.

Ravinder Kumar Jain, Ludhiana

Discredits Punjab

The Punjab lynching incidents call for a strict action against the accused for taking the law into their own hands. Similarly, at Lakhimpur Kheri when four farmers were mowed down by an SUV, the protesting farmers took the law into their own hands and beat to death three workers of the ruling party. A journalist who was covering the event was also killed. At the Singhu protest site, a man accused of sacrilege was brutally murdered with his hands and legs chopped off. So much for the tall claims that the farmers’ agitation was peaceful. While a murder charge has been slapped on the culprit driving the killer SUV, no action has been taken against the farmers. Such incidents bring a bad name to Punjab and Punjabiat.

WG CDR CL SEHGAL (RETD), JALANDHAR

As deplorable as sacrilege

The instant lynching of two men on alleged charges of sacrilege in Punjab is as reprehensible as the desecration. It is quite possible that the men who were killed might be mentally unsound and were not aware of their actions. How can any sane person have the gumption to indulge in such unholy acts, that too when there are hundreds of devotees present? The mobs that carried out the killings under the guise of safeguarding religiosity should introspect what they have accomplished by the barbaric acts. In no uncertain terms, this is a disservice to their religion, as no religion under any circumstances advocates violence. Sikhism is known for its magnanimity and has rendered yeoman’s service during the second wave of Covid and such ghastly incidents are distasteful and cannot be condoned.

Deepak Singhal, Noida

Free for all

Electioneering in Punjab is in full swing. Political parties are announcing free perks to the electorates to elicit maximum votes in their favour, which is unfortunate. This money will be doled out of the taxes paid by the people from their hard-earned money which is meant for the welfare and development of the state. In Punjab, the government employees are paying Rs 200 as tax separately from their salaries. The parties should pay for the freebies from the party fund instead of the government treasury.

SOHAN LAL BHUMBAK, CHANDIGARH

Suicide by students

The removal of ceiling fans by an engineering college to prevent purported suicides is laughable, and an attempt to trivialise an important issue which should be discussed widely in the academic community. Students pursuing doctorate studies are often under pressure to publish in high-quality journals, leading to huge stress and anxiety. Further, the attempts by supervisors to delay the award of PhD on flimsy grounds, even after the required number of publications are achieved often leads a student towards depression. To reduce stress among research scholars, an objective criterion needs to be established. A decision regarding when the degree is to be awarded to a student should not be left on the whims of a particular individual. The faculty should also be counselled regarding fixed work timings, student privacy and professionalism. Suicides are a systemic failure and require an urgent intervention.

Shivam Jain, Bathinda

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