Tainted must leave

The stubborn attitude of the Central government to save the minister is highly insensitive (‘Minister must go’). How can a person remain a minister of the Home department when his son is being tried for murder? It is time the government asks the minister to resign on moral grounds. The son of a minister cannot take such a serious step without his backing. An impartial investigation cannot be carried out without the removal of the minister from his post.

Wg Cdr Jasbir Minhas (retd), Mohali

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Justice first

Apropos of ‘Minister must go’ and ‘Investigative journalism is vanishing: CJI’, politics or parallel power centres must not vitiate the course of justice. While the Lakhimpur Kheri episode is condemnable and the minister’s reaction to a journalist’s query is unbecoming of his position, but when the matter is sub judice, no one need be declared ‘guilty’ by the media, as the authority vests with the judiciary only. It is imperative that procedural wrangles must not be allowed to delay justice.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

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Superior roads

‘Wider roads for Char Dham’ has rightly highlighted the importance of hi-tech roads in the present context. They are the lifeline of citizens in general and the country, especially at the borders. The technology for the roads for the defence forces needs to be such that the enemy shouldn’t be able to damage them, and if damaged, they should be repairable within a short time. Environmental issues also need to be taken care of on priority. The Road Research Institute and DRDO are capable of providing dependable indigenous technology to construct terrain-based high-altitude roads with tunnels and fly- overs which would reduce distance, mechanical wear and tear, protect fragile ecology, and be all-weather.

RS Kishtwaria, Palampur

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Combating inequality

Refer to ‘Poor and unequal’; poverty has a close relationship with inequality. In poor countries where the level of per capita income is very low, inequalities in the distribution of income and wealth have given rise to many problems, the most serious of which is poverty. If the development of a person is hindered, the development of the country gets blocked. The main causes of inequality in India are unemployment and under-employment and consequently low productivity of labour. This means that there is a low rate of economic development, which becomes the main cause of poverty and mass inequality. Along with education, health and skills, we have to find opportunities for self-employment.

Sikandar Bansal, Shimla

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Strive for equality

The report shows India in poor light in terms of unequal access to resources. It is not just inequality in income and wealth that plagues India. The report also points to extreme gender and carbon inequality. Studies in several countries suggest that a sound and fast growing GDP alone cannot be the guiding force for any country, especially when it comes to reducing inequalities. It is crystal clear that the affluent ones must be taxed highly so that the income so generated can be directed to the uplift of the underprivileged sections of society in terms of social security, healthcare and education.

Vijay Singh Adhikari, Nainital

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Temple ‘guides’

The middle ‘Blessed and cheated at the same time’ reminded me of a similar experience 15 years ago. I got an opportunity to visit Kolkata as manager of a girls’ cricket team for inter-university matches being held at Calcutta University. On a Sunday we decided to go for Mahakali darshan. As we neared the temple, I was shocked to see several goats tied for sacrifice during Navratras and Ashtmi. While Hindu religion advocates vegetarianism during this time, it was loathsome to imagine those innocent animals being butchered in the temple. Due to heavy rush, we were taken in by the promise of close darshan by one of the many so-called guides pestering us. Once inside, he took us to an upstairs corridor, asked us to have peaceful darshan from there, chanted some mantras, broke a ‘nariyal’ and took his fee. The next day after the matches, we again went to the temple. As few people visit temples at 5 pm, we stood comfortably in front of the majestic Mahakali and had a blissful experience of saying our prayers in ease. The Goddess didn’t let us come back only with bitter memories.

Arun Bala, Bathinda

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A thought to veterans

Refer to the celebrations of Swarnim Vijay Varsh, we, the veterans, feel though we are being remembered through the media, not much is happening for our welfare. Earlier, post war, the then government gave us the ‘reward’ of reducing the pension entitlement to 50 per cent from 70 per cent of the basic pay. Now also the government has withheld revision of OROP since 2019. The government should show magnanimity in this regard during the golden jubilee celebrations.

Col Sajjan Kundu (retd), Hisar

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