The BJP-led alliance is likely to have an easy victory in Bihar (‘Mandal versus millennial’, November 9). In a year when India clean bowled Pakistan with Operation Sindoor, a sweep anywhere in the Hindi heartland seems inevitable. Tejashwi Yadav remains weighed down by his political baggage—the past continues to haunt him, and few in Bihar wish to return to the chaotic rule of Lalu Prasad and his associates.
Nitish Kumar may not have done everything right, but with full support from the Centre, Bihar’s double-engine government should continue to work to the state’s advantage.
Mukul Tyagi,
On email.
The promises of jobs and welfare reveal both the urgency of youth frustration and the limits of populist politics. Bihar’s young voters—studying on riverbanks and railway platforms—are seeking opportunity, not rhetoric. Nitish’s social engineering and Tejashwi’s employment vision appeal to different aspirations but face the same test: turning slogans into structural change. Unless governance shifts from short-term relief to sustainable job creation, Bihar’s cycle of migration and dependency will continue.
The next government’s credibility will depend on work, not words.
K. Chidanand Kumar,
On email.
Tejashwi really does not deserve to be the chief minister of Bihar. The jungle raj of his father, Lalu, still haunts him. Bihar needs a dynamic leader like Yogi Adityanath if it is to see real progress.
Anil Deshpande,
On email.
Tejashwi’s promise to create jobs and curb migration is inspiring, but it requires a clear roadmap and decisive action. Migration from Bihar is driven not just by the search for livelihoods but also by the pursuit of better education and health care—issues that need equal attention.
Vijay Navalyal,
On email.
It is likely that the NDA alliance will win in Bihar, but Nitish may not be the right leader to take the state forward. Bihar’s development needs stronger momentum, as it still lags behind many other states.
A large number of Biharis continue to migrate to other states for menial jobs, which does little to uplift the state’s image or economy.
Manish Singh,
On email.
He will set a benchmark
A regular evaluation of colleagues’ performance should lead to timely course corrections, befitting a leader of the masses (‘Cleaning the cabinet’, November 9). The onus of accountability rests squarely on the party heading the government. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is well-equipped to handle the pulls and pressures of coalition governance and to set a benchmark in ethics and efficiency.
Sachidananda Satpathy,
On email.
Adopt scientific measures
The common cause behind most tragedies is a lapse in security—a fact that becomes evident only after the damage is done. Each such diabolical incident shatters the collective conscience of society, yet the findings of the perfunctory inquiry commissions that follow are seldom revealed (‘Ritual of inquiry’, November 9). These commissions rarely prevent potential hazards.
While crowd frenzy is difficult to contain, security personnel must adopt scientific measures to manage vulnerable venues effectively.
T.S. Sanath Kumar,
On email.
Inquiry commissions, in most cases, serve little purpose. Stampedes are man-made disasters. No venue should ever be allowed to become overcrowded.
Political parties often try to showcase the size of their gatherings as a measure of popularity—a dangerous trend. Have we ever heard of stampedes in the US? Hardly, because effective crowd management is in place there.
From his next election rally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should ensure that attendance is limited to 500-600 people. By setting such a standard, he can lead by example, and others will follow.
Tarun Mehta,
On email.
I solely hold actor Vijay responsible for what happened in Karur. He should know that he is an actor, too, who has millions of followers. He should have been careful. Likewise, elders should ensure that children are not taken to such crowded places. Stampedes should cause a general fear in the hearts of the people and that is the only way to prevent them from happening.
K.M. Pradeep,
On email.
Emotionally tied to films
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is an iconic film that firmly established Shah Rukh Khan’s place in Bollywood (‘When life gives you DDLJ’, November 9). It also had a wonderful collection of memorable songs.
But I fail to understand the logic behind watching any film more than 20 or 30 times—isn’t that a waste of time? I think only Indians tend to do such things, as we are emotionally attached to films.
Vismay Kothari,
On email.
Shah Rukh Khan is undoubtedly a great actor and an outstanding achiever. However, calling him the best or the king seems a bit of a stretch—more of a media label than a fact.
There are several other accomplished actors who have ruled Bollywood for over two to three decades, such as Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan and Hrithik Roshan. Many of them enjoy fan bases as large—if not larger—than SRK’s. Each of them is a king in his own right.
Neha Mongia,
On email.