Your cover story emphasised how gender-specific violence, hormonal changes and entrenched societal expectations place disproportionate psychological burden on women (‘Her mind matters’, March 15)

 

While awareness of mental health has increased in recent years, access to timely and affordable treatment remains limited—particularly in smaller towns. Social stigma also continues to discourage many women from seeking professional help. Addressing this crisis requires early intervention, stronger community support systems and better integration of mental health services into primary health care.

 

Public policy must prioritise gender-specific mental health care, along with awareness programmes that encourage families and communities to support women facing emotional distress.

 

Sanjay Chopra,

On email.

 

A woman might be quietly struggling while appearing perfectly fine to the outside world. The real problem is that we have normalised this silence for far too long.

 

Families need to start conversations without judgment, workplaces must offer genuine flexibility, and communities should stop treating resilience as a virtue that demands suffering.

 

Mental health support need not always mean therapy or medication—at times it simply means being heard, without being told to cope.

 

Abbharna Barathi,
On email.

 

Your cover story will push society to speak openly about mental health, an issue that continues to carry significant stigma, especially for women. In many parts of India, mental health is rarely discussed openly, particularly among working women.

 

Schools, workplaces, and communities should encourage open conversations about mental wellbeing and ensure that proper support systems and counselling services are available.

 

When society begins to understand these challenges, it can create a healthier and more supportive environment for women.

 

Praveen Thimmaiah,

On email.

 

Strong opposition is missing

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin appears well placed to return to power in Tamil Nadu (‘Growth story’, March 15). He resonates with people across the state in more ways than one. While corruption remains a concern in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, Stalin’s advantage largely stems from the absence of a strong and cohesive opposition.

 

It will be interesting to see whether actor Vijay aligns with the BJP.

 

If Vijay were to join forces with the AIADMK and the BJP, the Stalin-led front might find the going tough.

 

Adhiraj Balabhasker,

On email.

 

Stalin is increasingly projecting himself as the saviour of Tamil Nadu, and that appears to be working in his favour. I have nothing against the Dravidian parties, but the fact is they should not hesitate to present themselves as proud sons and daughters of Mother India. A prosperous Tamil Nadu is part of a growing India; there is no Tamil Nadu without India.

 

Vandana Raju,

On email.

 

Judge governance by performance

In ‘Last Word’ (March 15) Bansuri Swaraj says that in every democracy the ruling government exercises authority while the opposition performs the role of vigilance.

 

As someone with no allegiance to any political party, I do not take sides in this debate.

 

However, when Bansuri refers to the leader of the opposition’s rhetoric often outpacing evidence, one cannot help but note that the other side too frequently denigrates past governments, criticising them for nearly every action taken while rarely acknowledging the circumstances in which those decisions were made.

 

Governance should ultimately be judged by performance, which ought to speak for itself rather than through continuous comparisons with the past.

 

Vimla Menon,

On email.

 

Quiet diplomacy

P.R. Kumaraswamy’s analysis offers a timely and grounded reading of India’s carefully calibrated silence (‘The weight of restraint’, March 15). It is easy to criticise the government for not speaking out, but the article rightly reminds us that foreign policy cannot be driven by domestic sentiment alone. Nearly one crore Indians live and work in the Middle East, and their safety and livelihood depend on India maintaining trust with Arab nations, many of whom are themselves direct victims of Iranian strikes.

 

The real test will be how India uses its diplomatic channels to quietly push for de-escalation while protecting its citizens on the ground.

 

Avinashiappan Myilsami,

On email.

 

I wonder what has happened to our long-cherished policy of non-alignment. Hardly anyone speaks about it anymore. The debate today seems to have narrowed down to choosing between the US and Russia.

Perhaps, it is time to revisit a foreign policy rooted in moral clarity and self-respect. Aligning too closely with any one power can leave us vulnerable.

 

R.D. Singh,

On email.

 

Speak responsibly

What else can one expect from the misguided comments of someone like Digvijaya Singh? His remarks (‘Point blank’, March 8) conveniently ignored the incident in which a Pakistani cricketer appeared to mimic shooting down an aircraft—an act many interpreted as mocking the Indian Air Force. Such selective outrage is disappointing.

 

Ramesh Jorahat,

On email.