The changed face of wars

With reference to ‘Wars without winners: Rethinking victory in 21st century’; throughout medieval history, wars have been glorified and  warriors worshipped, till Hiroshima happened in 1945. In spite of that, modern warfare remains an illegitimate instrument of politics and mass murder of defenceless men, women and children as seen in Gaza and Ukraine. National interest everywhere is considered more important than conspicuous international issues like injustice, inequality and exploitation. The idea of a victor and the vanquished is obsolete. Modern wars are fought on many fronts using tools like trade, tariffs and pragmatic solutions like de-escalation.

Mohan Singh, Amritsar

Refer to ‘A burning issue’; the existing subsidy framework to discourage stubble burning seems insufficient and viable stubble collection methods are absent on the ground. It would be beneficial to offer farmers guaranteed minimum support prices and subsidies for alternative crops, potentially encouraging a shift away from practices like stubble burning. Furthermore, the ineffective execution of government policies compounds the existing difficulties. If governments put in as much effort as they do during elections, maybe we could fix this problem that’s affecting everyone.

Ishan Hastir, Gurdaspur

With reference to ‘SIR challenge’; the Election Commission’s claim of removing the names of illegal immigrants from voter lists by way of the SIR has fallen flat. How many Bangladeshis and Rohingyas have been identified and weeded out from the voter list in Bihar? The commission should make the list public. The ECI is a constitutional body and it is not supposed to please the political parties in power. Its actions have been marred by one controversy or the other over the years. The ECI should work transparently without showing any fear or favour to any political party. For now, the credibility of the Election Commission is at stake.

Ravinder Kumar Jain, Ludhiana

Apropos of ‘SIR challenge’; the revision of electoral rolls across the country is a welcome move. The fact that the last such comprehensive exercise took place about two decades ago, the countrywide SIR is much needed to clean-up voter lists, particularly to add up new eligible voters and delete the names of bogus voters. And, in no case the names of ineligible and non-citizens may be allowed in the voter lists. This ‘purification’ can take place only through the SIR. For a vibrant democracy like India, only our citizens have the right of exercising their franchise.

Krishan Kant Sood, Nangal

The manifesto released by the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar promises government jobs, free electricity and restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS), among other benefits. While such promises sound appealing, it is important to assess their feasibility and financial implications. Fulfilling these assurances requires a stable and robust state economy, not just political intent. For example, the restoration of OPS can significantly burden the exchequer in the long run. It is essential for voters to evaluate these promises critically and demand transparency on how they will be fulfilled. Electoral manifestos should not merely serve as vote-catching tools but as genuine roadmaps for inclusive growth and development.

Rukma Sharma, Jalandhar

Apropos of ‘India inks pact with Russian firm to produce civil aircraft’; India has entered the civil aviation market with HAL partnering with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation to develop the country’s first Made-in-India passenger aircraft. Designed for 100 passengers with a 3,000-km range, it has revived memories of the British-made Avro 748 used in India. Combining Russian design with Indian precision, the aircraft will boost domestic manufacturing, create skilled jobs, and strengthen the Aatmanirbhar Bharat campaign, marking a major leap in aviation self-reliance.

RS Narula, Patiala