Transformation in Bihar will take time

Refer to ‘PK looks to break the Bihar binary’; from the field of public health, Prashant Kishor entered the arena of politics in 2011 to design a winning poll strategy for the BJP, and later for the Congress, JDU, TMC and AAP. Participating himself this time in the Bihar poll, he undertook a 5,000-km padyatra in the wide expanse of Bihar to assure good governance and clean politics to the people by forming the Jan Suraaj Party. But traditional politics in Bihar is deeply rooted in caste, creed, community and religion — factors which may not change so soon. He will still have to work hard, may be for a longer time, to bring in the transformation he desires.

Subhash Vaid, New Delhi

Unpredictable weather events

Apropos of ‘How Arctic ice melt is linked to India’s floods’; in a 2006 award winning documentary An inconvenient truth, former US Vice President Albert Gore predicted that environmental changes due to global warming would upset the balance of ecologically fragile ocean currents circling our planet, leading to unpredictable weather events. The frequency of the bouts of heavy rainfall would increase, accompanied by short spells of intense cold and even snowfall at unexpected times of the year. Melting of polar ice caps is a central feature of this change as it affects salinity of seawater disturbing the delicate equilibrium of our planet, which is a mosaic of interdependent systems. Disturbing any one system affects our entire planet in ways that we yet do not fully understand.

Chander Shekhar Dogra, Jalandhar

Practise sustainability

Apropos of ‘How Arctic ice melt is linked to India’s floods’; the floods in Punjab, Himachal and J&K remind us that the crisis in the faraway Arctic is no longer distant. The article explains how rapid warming in the Arctic disrupts jet streams, intensifying monsoons and triggering flashfloods and landslides in India. What needs to be done is clear. Besides strengthening disaster preparedness, our policies must integrate climate change realities into urban planning, agriculture and water management. India should actively engage in global climate dialogues on Arctic change, as its impacts are directly felt here. Citizens must recognise the benefits of sustainable living, reduced carbon footprint and community awareness.

Ashok Singh Guleria, Hamirpur

The collective spirit of RSS

Refer to ‘Bhagwat’s message’; the Hindu organisation’s steadfastness when it comes to its core ideology is admirable. The RSS has never diluted its foundational beliefs. Its work in education, tribal welfare, providing relief during calamities has been laudable, though it does not make headlines. Where else in the world do you see several generations of a family dedicate themselves to an organisation without any promise of position, payment or recognition? Lakhs of swayamsevaks spend mornings at the RSS shakhas, devote weekends to seva, and that too without expectations of any reward. This has been the RSS’s greatest strength derived from collective spirit.

PL SINGH, By mail

Will BJP pay heed to RSS advice?

Refer to ‘Bhagwat’s message’; the moot question is whether the BJP is ready to accept the RSS advice. It may be recalled that the RSS chief had advised the BJP to not look for a temple beneath every mosque. Only a few days ago, Bhagwat in his speech at a function had said that both the RSS and BJP were independent to take their own decisions. His reference was to the party’s indecision on appointing the new BJP chief after JP Nadda. Does the RSS approve the ‘bulldozer justice’ adopted by Yogi Adityanath in UP? The RSS and BJP are playing their roles in their respective areas.

Ravinder Kumar Jain, Ludhiana

Spewing venom against India

Apropos of’ ‘India’s democracy facing gravest threat, claims Rahul in Colombia’; the BJP was right in reacting furiously to the LoP’s utterances against his own country on foreign soil. It cannot be sheer coincidence that he spews venom against India only on his trips abroad, evading debates in Parliament. He must think before delivering a lecture on democracy as his grandmother Indira Gandhi had torn apart the basic fabric of democracy by imposing the Emergency.

Vijaya Sharma, by mail