letterstoeditor

NDTV RAIDS

It’s not the first time NDTV has been targeted by the establishment. Last year, too, it was ordered to go off air for highlighting lapses in the nation’s security. The channel is known for its impartial and courageous news and seems to be the only one that has refused to toe the government line. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the completion of his three years in power welcomed constructive criticism of his government’s performance, but this CBI action is not in line with his claim. SK Khosla, Chandigarh

II

CBI raids on NDTV boss’ premises are the height of vendetta politics that the Modi government has let loose. While other bastions of the fourth estate have been co-opted by the government, the news group that had been waging a lone battle is being arm-twisted. How come the CBI became so proactive at the call of a private bank to harass the Roy couple? It’s high time journalists form a joint front to expose the malice in the government.

RM Ramaul, Paonta Sahib

III

By playing the victim card, NDTV is insulting the judiciary. The cases have been filed after a complaint against the news channel bosses. If they have done no wrong, then why are they worried? Once the apex court gives them the clean chit, they can file a defamation suit.

AK Sharma, Chandigarh

WOMEN IN COMBAT

There is no doubt that women are in no way inferior to men in any field and are capable of taking on any challenge. But sending them for combat duties will in no way prove their bravery. There are many branches in the military, where women are handling tough jobs, attending all parades and other defence activities. Fg Offr Jaswant singh (retd), Chandigarh

QATAR BOYCOTT

With seven countries, led by Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, severing ties with Qatar, repercussions for the Indian economy and expatriates are inevitable. The polarisation in Arab region is having an adverse global impact. The Muslim nations stand divided, and advanced countries like the US, Russia have failed to play a leadership role, siding with one regime or the other for their vested interests. Devinder Singh, Patiala

RAHUL’S GITA GYAN

Rahul Gandhi claims he is studying Upanishads and Bhagwad Gita to beat BJP leaders at their Hindutva game. It’s naïve of him to make such statements, as it takes more than one’s lifetime to study, understand and put into practice the gems of knowledge contained in these ancient texts. It will be better for him and his party if he lets senior and learned Congress leaders like Dr Karan Singh argue with the BJP on such matters. Dr BN Anand, SAS Nagar

‘FAT BOY’ LAUNCH

ISRO has once again created history with the launch of its heaviest rocket GSLV Mk3. The launch is a game-changer, as development of an indigenous cryogenic engine has put India in an elite club of nations. It has also set the stage for ISRO’s future endeavours, including Chandrayan-2 and manned mission. Usha Verma, Chandigarh

DIVIDED INDIA

India may be facing multifaceted problems like corruption, inflation, unemployment and terrorism, but the most grave of these is our failure to identify ourselves just as Indians. We have several identities, related to our religion, region and language, which have created several fault lines in our society. RK Arora, Amritsar

MARTYR DEBATE

Kudos to Karan Thapar for his bold article (‘Soldiers killed in action are not martyrs’), especially in these days of pseudo nationalism. A martyr is the one who chooses death voluntarily for a noble cause to protect either his faith or the faith of others. An example is that of the ninth Sikh master Guru Tegh Bahadur. When Kashmiri Pandits approached him at Anandpur Sahib for saving their faith against forcible conversion to Islam, he walked to Delhi and offered his head to Aurangzeb, thus becoming the saviour of Hinduism. On the contrary, a soldier chooses the army as a profession and lays down his life in the line of duty. Dalbir Singh Dhaliwal, SAS Nagar

LAWLESS PUNJAB

The law and order situation in Punjab is worsening by the day. With the change of government, people were hoping of better days, but there seems to be no drop in incidents of rape, murder and loot. It seems criminals have lost all fear of the law. Devinder Singh, Chandigarh