Revisit sedition law

APROPOS ‘Bogey of sedition’ (Feb 6), while the cohorts of the government themselves are employing incendiary rhetoric and polarising the masses, it is the general public that is being pestered with frivolous cases of sedition. The scenario is similar to how the British misused the sedition law to repress freedom fighters. It is time that this law be subjected to discussion and deliberation since it stands antithetical to the freedom of speech and expression.

Nissim Aggarwal, Chandigarh

Should apply to all

Apropos ‘Street protests can lead to anarchy: PM’ (Feb 7), protest, demonstrations, strikes and defiance of people against any act of the government are constitutional tools to caution the government that people are opposing such actions. When ministers, responsible leaders incite people to ‘shoot traitors’, call an elected CM ‘terrorist’, misuse media, what action has the PM taken against such ministers and politicians of his party? How can he call protesters anarchists? Adamant attitude can lead any protest to anarchy, and at the same time, governance against the spirit of the Constitution can make a democracy an autocracy. Both are harmful to the people and governance. Kabir had said, Nindak nere rakhyo, angan kuti chhabai, bin paani bin sabun, nirmal kare subhaye (Keep a critique in the compound of your house, who will clean your inner self without using any soap and water). No democratic government can succeed if it loses the faith of the people.

Capt Amar Jeet Kumar (retd), Mohali

Rigid babudom

The witty middle ‘Files come & go, babudom stays on’ (Feb 7) is the cry of the general public. Not just an ordinary person, even the officers sitting above the babus in most government offices appear to be helpless. The way the writer has suffered, just to get a correction done in his RC, is a general condition prevalent everywhere. Who is to be held responsible for this pathetic state of affairs — the government, officers, babus, latent corruption or the helpless aam aadmi?

Kuldip Dosanjh, Jalandhar

Bloody blunder

Shortage of blood in blood banks, unsafe transfusion and unhygienic storage of blood, all these are some common life-threatening mistakes which often make headlines. The glaring violations of rules of storage and handling blood, and carelessness of hospital staff is a major reason for these kinds of incidents. Senior health officials should take strict action against the guilty, so that nobody will dare repeat such mistakes, and will perform their duty diligently.

Rohini Sharma, Chandigarh

Failure of blood bank

It is a matter of grave concern that safe blood transfusion is a major challenge in India, since there is a shortage of skilled manpower in the healthcare sector. It is a criminal lapse that an 85-year-old woman in Phagwara was supplied blood infected with hepatitis C virus. Blood banks should have trained staff to deliver the right blood, so the life of no patient is endangered.

Subhash C Taneja, Gurugram

Quick to evacuate

In spite of its poor performance in the creation of jobs and the overall economic front, India has done well to evacuate its citizens stuck in distressed conditions abroad. Such projects were undertaken earlier also, but those were initiated or executed mainly by individuals or non-government organisations. But since the past few years, we see our government taking full responsibility for Indian citizens and bringing them back from life-threatening situations. This time also, India stands tall by evacuating 640 Indians and seven Maldivians from coronavirus-hit China. In stark comparison, Pakistan has left its citizens in the lurch.

Arun Bala, Bathinda

Power tariff too high

Why is the electricity rate so high in Punjab? Its neighbours Haryana and Himachal Pradesh charge less than Rs 4 per unit. The Punjab electricity board charges Rs 10 per unit. The Punjab Government has more sources than Haryana to produce electricity. Instead of reducing the power rate, the Congress government is talking about distributing smart phones free of cost among the youth.

Lakshay Anand, by mail

A good idea perhaps

Refer to ‘No male coaches for women’ (Feb 5); I think it is a welcome step, if we keep in mind the facts — that it may result in sexual crime and harassment. The same should be adopted in educational institutions also as there are frequent reports of sexual crime there too. In the name of modernity, why should we allow the possibility of such crimes?

ANAND PRAKASH MADAAN, Panchkula

Letters to the Editor, typed in double space, should not exceed the 200-word limit. These should be cogently written and can be sent by e-mail to: Letters@tribunemail.com