Power play

Refer to ‘Gehlot may pick CM post over Congress presidency’, it is evident from the message conveyed by the three ministers of Rajasthan to AICC observers on behalf of the rebel MLAs owing allegiance to Gehlot that they have flexed their muscles for a revolt against the high command. They have put forth conditions for a change of leadership in Rajasthan. Such dramatic power play by Gehlot is height of indiscipline and contravenes his previous assertions that he was willing to play any role assigned by the high command. Any leniency shown by Sonia Gandhi would encourage more rebellion in the party. She should take a firm stand.

Vijaya Sharma, by mail

Gehlot’s move

Apropos of ‘Rajasthan crisis’, it is apparent that realpolitik is at play. For a grounded and practising politician that Gehlot is, the post of party president can be an added feather to his chief ministerial crown, but it is in no way a bait luring enough to give up the plum post already in possession. The Congress high command should be aware of the limitations of its reach. State leaders are loyal to the party but not at the cost of their own existence. That is stretching loyalty too far. This development once again shows how alienated the top brass of the party is from the ground realities. The presidential elections are going to be a watershed in the Congress’ fortunes.

DV Sharma, Mukerian

Deliver prompt justice

Reference to ‘Outrage in Uttarakhand’; such politicians should not be spared and given any vote in the near future. The accused should be punished. A message should go out to all politicians of the country that the law is supreme and equal for everyone. The Modi government should clean up the BJP and those with a criminal background should be shown the door permanently. Prompt justice should be given to the victim so that people can retain their faith in the judicial system of the country.

SUBER SINGHPARIHAR, by mail

Uttarakhand murder

Refer to ‘Outrage in Uttarakhand’; Ankita’s murder again points to the issue of women’s safety. The possibility of such incidents in other places can’t be ruled out, but the fact that the son of a BJP leader was involved in the crime has ensured that the matter assumes greater importance. A close scrutiny of hotels and resorts will reveal the extent of the problem. The threat of violence, especially by politically powerful people, against women employees from economically weaker families is deplorable, as is the silence of the police.

RAMESH GUPTA, NARWANA

Colonial footprints

Apropos of the article ‘ Red herring of colonialism’, doing away with the colonial vestiges in the Indian military would be a skin-deep ritual unless something substantial is done in all other spheres where colonial footprints are still existing. We fought two wars with Pakistan with utmost Indianness and Indian ethos — Jat Regiment with the war cry ‘Jat Balwan, Jai Bhagwan’; Sikh Regiment with ‘Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal’; Gurkha Regiment with ‘Jai Maa Kali, Aayo Gorkhali’, and so on. We emerged victorious and many gallantry awards were awarded to our officers and soldiers. In 1971, we forced the surrender of 90,000 Pakistani soldiers. We need to wipe out colonial imprints from bureaucracy and must do away with the black laws of sedition.

HMS NAGRA, Faridabad

Don’t rush to change

‘Royalty redux at NDA’ brings to mind the wise words of Heraclitus — ‘The only constant in life is change’. One should be ready to accept change as time progresses. However, caution is to be exercised while hastening to unload our past, as the men in the Army fight for the honour of the regiment. The regimental spirit is one of the finest traditions as it fosters camaraderie and brotherhood among people from disparate communities and background in the armed forces. It is a legacy that needs to be nurtured. Any change must be implemented seamlessly inside the existing system to avoid scenarios where our decisions come to haunt us in the future. The defence forces are already a test-bed for the Agniveer experiment. Shedding colonial baggage may disrupt routine functioning.

PS Sodhi, Bengaluru

No need for quotas

There should be no need for quota for SC/ST/OBC categories. Is the general caste more capable than a ‘lower caste’ person for admission or a job? This is discrimination against a general-category person. There should be quality education in villages and small towns if the government wants to provide other castes equal opportunities. In fact, nowadays, the other castes are richer than, or at least as well-off as the general caste.

Neetika Anand, Mohali

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