Trump’s desperation for Nobel Peace Prize

Apropos of ‘When the tail wags the dog’; peace endeavours of the mercurial US President Donald Trump smack of his desperation for a Nobel Peace Prize, besides promoting his family business interests across warring nations. This is shaping the strategic global equations today more than ever before. His one-upmanship is at display all the time when he easily turns the tide in his favour at the last moment. Trump does not even listen to his own advisers while taking crucial decisions. Meanwhile, India ought to stay not only cautious of the US but also alert to any China-Pak bonhomie.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

Fighting the men’s battle

Refer to ‘How Pipli women resisted coercive sterilisations’; Haryanvi women’s role in opposing forced sterilisations with dogged determination is praiseworthy. The article made my hair stand on end while reading about the atrocities committed by the administrative machinery during Emergency. Our history is replete with women who have courageously faced struggles and proved their mettle in various social missions. The women concerned fought their own battle and the men bowed to their grit. Haryana is a state where patriarchy is rampant but women led the struggle against government tyranny. The daring women and the unrelenting khaps displayed the power of community resistance in defending their men against state authoritarianism.

Raj Kumar Kapoor, Ropar

New chapter in space odyssey

Refer to ‘Back in space’; with the dragon crew capsule docking successfully with the International Space Station (ISS), IAF pilot Shubhanshu Shukla has become the first Indian to reach the ISS. Launched in 1998, the ISS embodies the global community’s collective desire for knowledge in space technology. Given that ISRO has plans for an Indian space station in the next 10 years, Shukla’s experience could be critical to this endeavour. His stay in space could be a forerunner to many more feathers in ISRO’s cap with India scripting a new chapter in its space journey.

SS Paul, Nadia

Action, not symbolism needed

The arrest of SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia by the Vigilance Bureau in the

Rs 540 crore drug money laundering case is a long-awaited development in Punjab’s war against the drug menace. For years, there have been allegations linking high-profile figures to the drug trade, but concrete action often seemed elusive. His arrest sends out a strong message that no one is above law and that the justice delivery system is capable of holding even the politically powerful accountable. A crackdown on political complicity is essential to restore public trust. It is now imperative that the investigation proceeds in a fair and time-bound manner. People want to see action on the ground, not just symbolism.

Rukma Sharma, Jalandhar

Not just law-and-order problem

A more sinister war than the prevailing ones is playing out silently in our streets and slums — a war where the weapons are pills and powders, and the casualties are the young, the poor and the defenceless. The worst crime humanity commits is the deliberate destruction of innocence. Behind Punjab’s spiralling drug crisis is a network of political patronage, official apathy and systemic greed. This crisis isn’t just a law-and-order problem. And unless we call this deliberate enterprise out for what it is — an organised massacre of innocence for profit — no number of rehabilitation centres or awareness rallies will change anything.

Shahzad Singh Jeji, Chandigarh

Government’s efforts go in vain

Refer to ‘Shift towards girls’; the Haryana Government has spent public exchequer’s money for its ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign, but the result is not impressive. Task forces tried their best to shut down illegal abortion centres but some black sheep still remain hand in glove with the culprits. Without mass support, such social objectives are difficult to obtain. Some parents still prefer a male child to continue their legacy, despite the fact that girls have surpassed boys in most fields.

Nachhattar Singh, Sirsa