It is a serious matter if China orchestrated the Myanmar military coup to destabilise India; China should not be allowed to fund insurgency in the northeast (‘Enemy at the gates’, January 9). The government of India should never underestimate the challenge posed by China in the northeast, and it should do everything it can to thwart China’s advances.
The majority of nations around the world have condemned China for its failure to prevent the pandemic. Today, nobody trusts China, which is known to foment troubles for every nation that it hates.
India, on its part, should cement its ties with Myanmar and all neighbouring countries that share a boundary with China and deal firmly with that country.
Harshvardhan Gopinath,
On email.
It is a bitter truth that people from other countries find it easy to enter India, which is also evident from your cover story. Myanmar is no exception. There is a dire need to instil confidence in the hearts of people from the northeast and blazon from all corners that they are all part of India.
Regular financial assistance to the northeastern states, new projects for employing the youth there and catering to their well-being must be prioritised. China’s evil intention to create unrest in the region should be curbed at all costs.
Surinder Pal,
On email.
Country at a loss
I endorse the views of Jothindra P.L. (‘Letters’, January 9). The prime minister should have met the farmers and explained to them about the farm laws well before their implementation. In India, there is a bad practice that any scheme or rule introduced by the ruling party is opposed by the opposition party.
Though former prime minister Manmohan Singh is aware of the real impact of the farm laws, his close associates would not have allowed him to come out with his honest views.
We are at a loss as to when our country will come out of such political indifferences. Narendra Modi’s failure in reaching out to farmers created a lacuna, resulting in repealing the farm laws.
Raghavan Rajagopal,
On email.
Owaisi is strong
Yogi Adityanath-led government will once again come to power in Uttar Pradesh (‘Point blank’, January 9). But Asaduddin Owaisi is going to emerge as a strong leader in the state in the coming years. He will consolidate Muslim votes in the state. Only Owaisi is in a position to give tit-for-tat responses to Adityanath’s allegations. Many BJP leaders in the state are scared of Owaisi.
Suresh Mathur,
On email.
Why double standards?
Anti-conversion laws apply even in the conversions into the Hindu fold, and these laws are not specifically barring conversions into Christianity (‘Laws of faith’, January 9).
Then why are the media and political parties projecting it as a pro-Hindu and anti-Christian matter?
From your graphics, it is clear that the first anti-conversion law was passed in India in 1967-68 when the Congress government was in power and the BJP was nowhere in the picture. Nobody protested when such a law was passed when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister.
Maybe the same social issues that prompted the Congress government to enact these laws back then must have been the cause for other states to go with similar laws post-2014.
THE WEEK, on its part, should stop treating anti-conversion laws as anti-Christian; they are aimed at retaining social peace.
Duggaraju Srinivasa Rao,
Vijayawada,
Andhra Pradesh.
BJP’s ploy
The delimitation draft proposal in Jammu and Kashmir is certainly discriminatory (‘Line of ire’, January 9). Crafting new assembly seats in smaller regions smacks of politicisation of the whole exercise. Jammu and Kashmir, which is a Muslim-dominated Union Territory, will lose that status; Muslims will be divided.
All this is the BJP’s ploy to suppress Muslim domination in Jammu and Kashmir and assign the chief ministership to a Hindu leader. More Hindu representation in the J&K assembly is its ulterior motive and the BJP might achieve it through delimitation.
Shweta Chaudhary,
Delhi.
Don’t be complacent
The third wave of Covid-19 has knocked on our doors and the World Health Organization is repeatedly warning all nations against taking Omicron lightly and is urging them to expand vaccination coverage (‘Haunted, (season 3)’, January 9).
There is no room for complacency and lowering the guard. Parents should get their children, between 15 and 18, vaccinated and people above 60 with comorbidities should surely get the booster dose.
Sunil Chopra,
On email.
Need a farming revolution
Your report about Verghese Kurien was insightful (‘Buffalo soldier’, December 26). Amul is not only a trusted brand in India and abroad, but India is also the largest producer of milk products in the world. The open secret of this success is an inclusive model in Amul Dairy.
No doubt, India needs a revolutionary change in the farming sector. Any such change will have to be inclusive of the farmers, who are at the lower end of the food chain. They deserve the market price and not a minimum price. They deserve to be moved up the food value chain and not to be at the bottom for generations to come. Let us replicate Amul’s success in each state.
Mathew G. Nanakkal,
Bengaluru.