LETTERS

CAUTION NEEDED

THIS REFERS TO the editorial, ‘Visa Power’ (IE, January 17). Sushma Swaraj’s use of Twitter as a platform to provide assistance to Indians caught in difficult situations has been exemplary. However, her recent diktat in a tweet to Amazon is representative of the jingoistic propaganda that has been sweeping the nation recently and sets a dangerous precedent. Caution must be taken when safeguarding national interests instead of recklessly relying on social media platforms to issue directives or express opinions that have the potential to ratchet up tensions. This has been evident in Donald Trump’s excessive use of Twitter — hardly an example to follow. Agam Dhingra, Delhi

JAWAN’S FEEDBACK

THIS REFERS TO the article, ‘The Constable’s lament’ (IE, January 17). We must not be unduly critical of feedback, in whatever form, from the serving jawans of our forces. That we have not yet heard of the hardships soldiers face, aberrations as they must be, is likely due to the discipline in the armed forces, open lines of communication between officers and NCOS and traditions built over centuries. Dissent, however, must not be ignored — it is essential to our democracy.

R. Narayanan, Ghaziabad

ACT SOON

THIS REFERS TO the article, ‘What’s on the paramilitary plate’ (IE, January 17). It emerges that the government has fixed the ration scales according to the calorie requirement in the varying altitudes. The scale of the rations is satisfactory, but the quality of supplied items is not to the taste of soldiers and the tinned food is stale . Corruption must be curbed and under no circumstances should the items meant jawans be sold in the open market. It is time the government took prompt action on the complaints of our soldiers on the frontlines. Their morale must not sag.

S.C. Vaid, Noida