Handle with care
Proper care should be taken while finalising the National Register of Citizens (‘Soldier of misfortune’, August 4). The agencies involved in it should not make a mockery of themselves by committing blunders. Exclusions and inclusions should be done in the right manner, after thorough verification and re-verification.
Yes, influx from neighbouring countries has to be prevented. But, forcefully deporting people is not the solution. It does not look good to say that the onus is on the person to prove his or her citizenship. A faulty NRC will be a threat to the country.
Tapesh Nagpal,
On email.
It is a tragedy that the poor and the impoverished in Assam need to prove that they are citizens of the state, adding to their existing miseries. Foreigners’ tribunals often declare poor individuals as foreigners on the basis of clerical errors in documents, like spelling mistakes and inconsistency in age and date of birth.
Most of the poor and the deprived, who have never been to schools, may not have authentic proof of their birth or other details for citizenship. For many who do not own any land, there will not be any land record to produce as proof of residency before the cut-off date.
Jaideep Mittra,
On email.
Raja or Kovind?
Your Party Snacks provide hilarious and eclectic caricatures. And, it was no different this time (August 4). But, the illustration along with the write-up on CPI general secretary D. Raja looked more like President Ram Nath Kovind. Am I not correct?
Raveendranath A.,
On email.
Long wait
Ever since Congress president Rahul Gandhi threw up his hands in despair after a second consecutive drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections and relinquished his post as president, the Congress has turned into an army without a general and the consequences have been disastrous to say the least (‘Lost in transition’, August 4). With Rahul unwilling to name his successor, and dropping a hint that it should be someone outside the Gandhi family, a frantic search has been mounted to zero in on a successor. With the party in a dilemma, whether to pick someone from the old guard or hand over the reins to a younger leader, the wait has only prolonged.
In Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where the Congress wrested power from the BJP, the saffron party has been making overtures to the Congress MLAs and has been doing everything possible to dislodge the Congress from its perch.
C.V. Aravind,
On email.
It is strange and inexplicable that Rahul continues to act as president even though he has resigned from the post. I feel the time has come for Sonia Gandhi to intervene and take the necessary steps to fill the gap. It will be better if an election is held among Congress members to select the next president.
D.B.N. Murthy,
On email.
Why amend it?
The RTI act should not be amended. What is the urgent need to do that? People should always have the power to question the authorities (‘Diminishing transparency’, August 4). If the government is trying to revise the RTI, then it is up to something fishy.
Nandagopal Kishore,
On email.
Better stay away
The recent Donald Trump-Imran Khan engagement was highly disappointing (‘Terms of engagement’,August 4). Trump is, perhaps, the most unpredictable and unreliable US president ever. His claim that PM Modi had requested him to mediate in the Kashmir issue was rubbish; good that it was immediately turned down by India. Later, it was clarified by the US state department that Kashmir was a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. India is a rising superpower and a giant of sorts on the global stage. So, no country would dare to intervene on the Kashmir issue.
In the years to come, India needs to consolidate it economic and military position so that she can reach close to where China is today, and also widen the gap with Pakistan.
Ravi Prakash Singh,
On email.
Pakistan can proclaim that it has been acquitted by the International Court of Justice in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case. But there is a loaded message in the court’s directive, which ordered Pakistan to review the death penalty awarded to Jadhav in 2017. This is a reflection on the conduct of their military courts and their rough-and-ready justice.
The ICJ verdict does not acquit Jadhav, as it did not have the jurisdiction to examine the evidence for and against the accused.
K.S. Jayatheertha,
On email.
She loves India
Taslima Nasreen should be allowed to stay in India forever, if that is what she wants. She is loved and respected by many in the country, and the government should not have a problem in accommodating her in the country if she feels unsafe in Bangladesh (‘Home is here’, August 4).
Taslima keeps saying that India is her only home and that she would like to settle in Kolkata forever. All said, the government of India should continue to keep a track of her movements.
Vrinda Gopi,
On email.
Worth emulating
Barkha Dutt’s portrayal of the magnanimity displayed by the Indian military officers towards their fallen foes made for an interesting read (‘Last word’, August 4). The friendly and humane gestures of our army personnel are praiseworthy and worthy of emulation, and should be highlighted in our popular narratives which celebrate their military prowess and victories.
Varsha V. Shenoy
On email.