Courageous Arunima

Arunima Sinha (25) is India’s first woman to conquer Mt Everest on a prosthetic leg. Her rarest of rare feat will always be an inspiration for thousands of adventure lovers throughout the world. Moreover, it will encourage persons with physical disabilities that nothing is impossible for them in life.

Also, Arunima's brave act is a slap on the faces of those chain-snatchers who had thrown her off a moving train for resisting chain-snatching. Arunima completed her expedition from Kathmandu to the world’s highest peak in 52 days. The government should honour her by giving an award. I salute her!

BIDYUT KUMAR CHATTERJEE, Faridabad

Hoping for change

Apropos the editorial ‘Gains from Li’s visit’ (May 22), a change in the language of China over the border issue is appreciable, but India must not be too optimistic. None of the eight MOUs signed talk of a concrete and an amicable solution to the problem. China is just paying lip-service because it has realised India’s importance as a key player in maintaining the safety of crucial maritime channels in the Indian Ocean which is crucial to China’s trade with the Middle East and Africa. China is expected to sign 12 agreements with Pakistan, including the one related to Karakoram Highway, thereby indirectly acknowledging Pakistan’s legitimacy over the PoK area. India must pressurise China to solve the border issue before seeking any meaningful cooperation in other areas, especially in the economic and bilateral trade avenues.

MANAN KATHURIA, Rajpura

Water crisis

Residents of Raipur Khurd village are a harried lot as they have been facing an acute water shortage over the past few days. In the morning, they get the water supply for three hours, but the pressure is so low that they fail to finish domestic chores till the supply lasts. In the evening, they fail to get even a trickle. The rooftop water tanks remain empty.

Those living on the first and second floors are the hardest hit as they have to do the exertion of fetching water from the ground floor. They have to resort to water tankers by paying Rs 300-400, which most of villagers cannot afford daily. Why don’t high-ups in the Administration, at least the JE and the SDO, visit the village to take stock of the situation? As the population of the village has increased rapidly, the Administration should provide more tubewells to cope with this perennial problem. Why doesn’t the Administration think of providing canal water supply to the village?

GAURAV SHARMA, Chandigarh

Strict punishment

This refers to the article ‘Australian gets 45-year jail for raping, killing Indian girl’ (May 18).

Our legal system needs to give strict punishment as well as deliver justice without delay like Australia.

In India, so many foreign and domestic nationals are raped, murdered, sodomised and tortured. But, few culprits are given exemplary punishment to discourage them from repeating the crime.

An Australian court deserves to be praised for delivering strict punishment — 45 years’ imprisonment and that too with no parole for 30 years — to a 21-year-old Australian. Our salute to the Australian justice system!

KIRAN GILL, Chandigarh

IPL sleaze

Cricketers are the highest paid sportsmen in our country. Despite that there succumbing to greed for easy money is really shocking. The tainted cricketers deserve stricter punishment. Even a life ban is not enough as they join as commentators, coaches, etc. They should be given a 10-year rigorous imprisonment and banned for life from joining any sport association as well as disqualified from taking a job in the Central or state government.

SS BHATHAL, Ludhiana

Not trustworthy

Though hockey is our national sport, it has failed to earn the quick fame and fortune like cricket, which is now the most popular sport in India. But, the spot-fixing scandal has destroyed the trust of cricket fans. The tainted players, bookies and BCCI officials all must be brought to justice who have brought shame on the country.

COL KOTU K PHULL (RETD), Hoshiarpur