Rebuild economic confidence

Refer to 'What is driving the rupee down?' the decline of the rupee is not just the result of temporary market fluctuations — it reflects deeper concerns about India's growth outlook and investment climate. Heavy foreign fund withdrawals show that global investors are questioning the sustainability of corporate earnings and domestic consumption. At the same time, rising gold imports indicate that affluent Indians are choosing safety over productive investment within the economy. While the RBI has attempted to defend the rupee through dollar sales and cautious monetary policy, its room for manoeuvre is now limited. A durable recovery of the currency depends on rebuilding economic confidence through stable policy, job creation, higher household purchasing power, and incentives that attract long-term investment rather than speculative flows.

Gaurav Badhwar, Rohtak

Preserve Punjabiyat

Refer to ‘The complex reality behind Punjab’s migrant backlash’; the rising number of migrant workers in Punjab, particularly in rural areas, has had long-term negative effects on the state’s cultural fabric. Bigger cities such as Ludhiana, Amritsar and Mohali have already witnessed significant cultural shifts due to migration from various parts of India. The changes are especially evident in language and food. While it is true that Punjab is economically dependent on migrant labour, it is equally important to safeguard Punjabiyat from unintended cultural erosion. Preserving the state’s cultural identity is as crucial as ensuring its economic growth.

Amritpal Singh, Bathinda

Winning polls not only criterion

With reference to ‘Vande Mataram pitch’; the BJP is known to remain in election mode 24x7. The debate was planned to gain political mileage in the forthcoming Bengal elections at the cost of setting aside the current problems affecting the common man. The art of winning elections may not necessarily mean providing good governance. Parliamentarians need to get their priorities right — whether to discuss history or to improve the present situation. Unfortunately, people have a right to vote only and beyond that the agenda is set by politicians for their political gains.

Yash Khetarpal, Panchkula

Important issues sidelined

Our parliamentarians are discussing the Vande Mataram song written 150 years ago. Even if Nehru had got two stanzas deleted from the original poem on Jinnah’s request, should we shame the first prime minister after a century? Why does PM Modi carry Nehru as an albatross around his neck in every speech in Parliament? The ruling party is behaving as if it is the sole franchisee of nationalism and patriotism. The irony is that RSS did not hoist national flag in its offices for almost 50 years. Why are our parliamentarians not discussing the IndiGo fiasco and free fall of our rupee vis-a-vis dollar? Shouldn’t the Parliament have taken up a discussion on burning issues facing the country rather than keeping them under wraps? The ruling party needs to introspect and the Opposition needs to ask questions.

Arun Hastir, Gurdaspur

Modi setting wrong agenda

Apropos of ‘Vande Mataram pitch’; the speech by the Prime Minister in Parliament, levelling charges against Jawaharlal Nehru over Vande Mataram, seems less about honouring history than rewriting it. The decision to adopt only the first two neutral stanzas was a conscious attempt to respect India’s pluralistic fabric, not a betrayal of the freedom struggle. The concerted attempts being made to distort history with wrong interpretations and false narratives must stop. History deserves nuance, not demagoguery.

SS Paul, Nadia

Take corrupt officials to task

Refer to ‘Killer blaze’; the Goa inferno will sadly be another incident that would make headlines for about a fortnight and then be relegated to a long list of avoidable tragedies. The cause of the fire has been zeroed in, but the buck should not stop here. Officials of the departments awarding safety certificates without checking is par for the course. Corrupt and careless officials must be immediately shown the door. Their lazy and callous attitude towards their responsibilities is shameful and disgraceful. Ensuring safety should be an ongoing process. The public at large should not be considered sitting ducks. Well-meaning plans require strict implementation.

Amit Kumar, Mohali