Vinesh still a champion
The last-minute disqualification of Vinesh Phogat, who had just scripted history in the Olympics by becoming the first female Indian wrestler to enter the final, has come as a massive disappointment for not just her but for sports lovers across the country. The whole nation saw her rise to Olympic glory with much admiration. The world watched as she risked her career to take on Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former Wrestling Federation of India chief accused of sexual harassment. Sadly, India’s joy over her victory in the 50-kg freestyle semifinals was short-lived. Nevertheless, she will be remembered as a source of inspiration for generations to come.
DVG Sankara Rao, Vizianagaram
Heartbreak for India
In a shocking turn of events, Indian wrestling champion Vinesh Phogat, who had become the first female grappler from the country to make it to the gold medal bout in the Olympics on Tuesday night, was disqualified ahead of the women’s 50-kg final for being overweight. The development is extremely unfortunate, especially in view of the hard work she had put in to create history. Her disqualification is not just a massive setback for Vinesh, but a huge heartbreak for the whole country.
Krishan Kant Sood, Nangal
Dilution of constitutional values
Apropos of the editorial ‘Preamble row’; the million-dollar question is: why is the Preamble to the Constitution anathema to the BJP? After all, the preface is a reflection of the core values that form the bedrock of the Indian Constitution. The Preamble reaffirms that India is a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic committed to justice, liberty, equality and fraternity for its people. Since the ruling dispensation cannot make short shrift of the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’, it probably thought of omitting the whole Preamble from school textbooks. We, the people of India, will not accept this dilution of the values enshrined in our Constitution.
Prem Singh Dahiya, Rohtak
NCERT at it again
The omission of the Preamble to the Constitution from NCERT textbooks is a matter of grave concern. It seems like an intentional insult to the Constitution. There is no justification for the controversial move. Notably, this is not the first time that the NCERT has come under fire. It has previously sparked controversy for excluding or pruning references to the Babri Masjid demolition and the Gujarat riots from its books. No single political party owns the Constitution; it is meant for the people.
Wg Cdr JS Minhas (retd), Mohali
The scourge of two-tier policing
The editorial ‘Far-right extremism’ read more like a rant about anti-immigrant rioting. It made no mention of the UK’s Muslim grooming gang members who sexually abuse children. Britain has been rocked by a number of jihadist attacks over the years. Though the British police have failed to rein in the Islamists behind such crimes, they are quick to crack down on those who criticise any act of violence committed by members of that minority community. Besides, there was no hue and cry when the BLM (Black Lives Matter) demonstrations or pro-Palestine protests turned violent. This kind of two-tier policing is dangerous.
Ajay Tyagi, Mumbai
Heed the cries from the wild
Refer to the editorial ‘Protect the voiceless’; animals are crying out for help. The alarming surge in wildlife crime in north India is a stark reminder of the war being waged on our precious biodiversity. The fact that the region has witnessed a staggering 683 cases over the past five years should prompt the authorities concerned to take steps to tackle the menace. Poaching, forest fires, encroachments and smuggling of animal body parts are pushing our wildlife to the brink. The decline in cases in some states is proof that there is still hope. Global cooperation and a more stringent enforcement of norms are the need of the hour to stay ahead of poaching syndicates.
Sargunpreet Kaur, Mohali
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