Zohran Mamdani’s uncompromising stand

Apropos of ‘There’s something about Zohran K’; he may become the first Indian-origin person to become the mayor of New York. His campaign of going from home to home holds political lessons. The young politician has been a Social Democrat during his brief political career, and his record hasn’t shown any compromise which even seasoned politicians are compelled to adopt during their campaigns. Zohran has made his stand on the aggression in Gaza by Israel very clear. He also stands out for his unequivocal communication. His views have been criticised as idealistic and populist by his detractors, but appreciated by the common man. At a time when migrants aren’t welcome, Zohran has proved many of his detractors, including the US President, wrong.

SK Singh, by mail

Rising immigrant star in the US

Refer to ‘There’s something about Zohran K’; he is an incredibly ambitious young man. Zohran Kwame Mamdani is a rising immigrant star in the US who is drawing attention globally as well. There is a popular Hindi idiom that sums up his personality, ‘kuze mein dariya’ (A river in a narrow earthen pot). A strong Democrat candidate with huge support of immigrants of all hues for the plum post of the Mayor of New York, he may surpass the popularity of former President Barack Obama.

BM Singh, Amritsar

Standing by fundamental rights

Apropos of ‘From the ashes of Emergency, an enduring dissent’; a salute to the courage and firm stance of Justice HR Khanna while disagreeing with the Supreme Court Bench’s majority judgment. It pains us to learn of his supersession, a heavy price for defiance. However, it gives us solace to learn that the flaws in the judgment were ultimately accepted by fellow judges of the Bench. Justice Khanna displayed steely resolve in ensuring that he stood by the fundamental rights of an individual. He had the courage to voice his dissent, which is essential to uphold the basic values of democracy.

Saurabh Bhakri, by mail

RSS’s revisionist push cynical

Refer to ‘Spare the Preamble’; the writing was on the wall as early as 2015, when the Modi government’s Republic Day advertisement conspicuously omitted the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ from the Preamble. That act was not an oversight but a signal that aligns disturbingly with the RSS’s latest demand to review these words. The argument that these terms were inserted during the Emergency ignores both judicial endorsement and historical validation. If the Central Government truly respects the Constitution, it must reject the RSS’s revisionist push. The excesses of the Emergency must not be forgotten, but using them to undermine secularism and socialism is both cynical and perilous.

Harsh Pawaria, Rohtak

SC underlined true sense of words

The demand of the RSS to delete the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ from the Preamble is unfounded and unacceptable. RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale has ignored the fact that the Supreme Court has already settled the matter. The court had orally observed that the word ‘socialist’ only means a welfare State in the Indian context and the existence of this word in the Preamble has not harmed the private sector in the country. The court emphasised that the word ‘socialism’ reflects the goal of economic and social upliftment and does not restrict private entrepreneurship and the right to business and trade.

Yash Pal Ralhan, Jalandhar

No fear of law in Kolkata

Even as the horrifying rape-murder of an intern in a Kolkata medical college is still fresh in people’s minds, the gang-rape of a law student in her college has shamed the whole country. How long will our daughters and sisters continue to be molested, raped and murdered in this country of gods and goddesses? India has become the fourth largest economy of the world; the country is self-sufficient in all sorts of missiles and drones; it can launch expeditions to Mars and the moon — but sadly it can’t protect its daughters from criminals.

Sunil Chopra, Ludhiana