It is a multi-cornered contest in Punjab, and in all likelihood, the Aam Aadmi Party will emerge as the winner, albeit with some support from smaller parties and independents (‘Colourful combat’, February 13).
Though Charanjit Singh Channi, the Congress’s chief ministerial face in Punjab, is quite popular, not everything is hunky-dory in the state unit of the party, and there is confusion galore among supporters of the Congress.
Navjot Singh Sidhu is a highly unpredictable politician. There is no denying that he is a hardworking politician who tirelessly works for people in his constituency. But Sidhu cannot be taken at face value. He thinks only he is good for Punjab and does not believe even his loyalists, which is a problem.
It is quite palpable that people in Punjab want a change this time, and that change is coming for sure.
Sandeep Kulkarni,
On email.
Sidhu’s actions and words have made the Congress supporters in Punjab doubtful as to whether all is going to be well if the Channi-led Congress government comes back to power in the state. There is no guarantee, still, that Channi will be the chief minister. Sidhu has a proven track record and has won many elections, but he should know well that politics is a team game and it cannot be the way only one person wants.
I feel the Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress-BJP alliance in the state cannot be taken lightly; Captain is still popular and the alliance could win a considerable number of seats and play a key role in who forms the next government in Punjab.
Chandra Yadav,
On email.
Taking advantage
The AAP and the Trinamool Congress are giving an impression that they are contesting the assembly elections in Goa to fulfil the criterion of getting the status of national parties (‘First show’, February 13).
Goa’s mineral wealth, coupled with money from the tourism sector, makes the state a lucrative possession for any political party in power.
The Congress and the BJP seem to be real contenders in Goa, due to their deep connections in the diverse Goan society. The TMC and the AAP look like outsiders rushing to Goa to pluck seemingly low-hanging fruit.
Devendra Awasthi,
On email.
India the mediator
The article by Anita Pratap gives a 360-degree view of the current crisis in the making in Ukraine (‘The ninja strikes’, February 13). If it turns into an armed conflict, the main beneficiary will be China. Since India has good relations with Russia and the US, we are well placed to play a crucial role as a mediator to resolve the issues between Russia and the US, and isolate China in the global arena. This could be a masterstroke on the part of India to keep China in its place and put a stop to its expansionist tendencies to a great extent.
Mahesh Joshi,
On email.
Disrespect to soldiers
Unfortunately, the sacred hymn ‘Abide with Me’ has been annulled from Beating Retreat by our beloved prime minister (‘PMO Beat’, February 13).
The hymn made everyone’s hearts swell with pride and patriotism. The prime minister should realise that by deciding not to play ‘Abide with Me’, he has not achieved anything great but only hurt the feelings and sentiments of every Indian irrespective of caste or creed.
It should be borne in mind that our soldiers are the symbol of valour and patriotism and by laying down their lives they protect us and our borders.
Amar L. Naik,
On email.
I was disappointed to read R. Prasannan’s column on ‘Abide with Me’. His columns are otherwise balanced and erudite. Prasannan has fallen into the trap of journalists who will criticise the current ruling dispensation for dropping ‘Abide with Me’ from Beating Retreat.
Without going into the merits or demerits of the hymn or the reasons for the selection of a tune, it is not the first time a change has been made to the ceremony. Wikipedia mentions that several tunes were changed in 2011 and even the composition of the participant units was changed in 2016. The ceremony was reportedly started in India in 1955 and is not very old.
Regiments have a long history and the purposes of keeping the outer signs of regiments are many. Apart from promoting the pride of belonging to a group with a long history, they promote the closeness of the individual soldiers to each other and serve as sources of inspiration for them. They should not be tinkered with. The Madras or the Maratha regiment have soldiers from any part of India, not only of the region indicated.
The hymn has nothing to do with soldiers. It is not a tune suitable for Beating Retreat. The other argument that it was a favourite of Mahatma Gandhi does not have much merit either. Gandhi might or might not have approved of the show.
T. Sudhakar Bhat,
On email.
How about hockey and 1980?
Reading about Virat Kohli’s decision to step down as captain in your cover story, I thought about the state of our national game: hockey (‘Dreamer, doer’, January 30). The last time we won gold was at the Moscow Olympics in 1980. Who remembers that victory now!
While a great deal of media space is now spent on the Indian cricket team’s World Cup victory in 1983, there is not one coverage of our hockey team’s victory in 1980. Young people today have not even heard of the legends who brought glory to India in hockey during that time.
May I request THE WEEK to come out with a special issue on arguably India’s greatest achievement in a team sport?
Sudhakar Nair,
On email.