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Discord between govt, allies unhealthy

Frequent squabbles between the Congress-led UPA II government and governments in Opposition-ruled states or run by allies are detrimental to national interest. Trinamool Congress (TMC) under Mamata Banerjee is behaving like a spoilt brat. Her refusal to come on board for Lokpal Bill, Teesta water accord with Bangladesh, FDI and NCTC issue were in bad taste.

Mullaperiyar Dam row between Tamil Nadu and Kerala and AIDMK govt’s covert support to protesters against Kudankullam nuclear plant are other examples of increasing disharmony between the Centre and the states. As a result, the nuclear plant built at a cost of Rs 14,000 crore is held up for operationalisation. It became a stumbling block in reaching an agreement with Russia to build additional nuclear plants in India.

In such circumstances, governance is a challenge to the acumen of political leadership in New Delhi. The contemptuous tone and tenor used by Opposition leaders while targeting the office of Prime Minister needs refinement and moderation.

Lt-Col BACHITTAR SINGH (retd), Mohali

Arunachal India’s part

You have very rightly advised the Indian government to pull up its socks to face Chinese threat head-on in the editorial ‘Antony's Arunachal visit' (March 1).

China has a strong expansionist policy. It has already betrayed India's trust in 1962, when it befooled Nehru with 'hindi-chini bhai bhai’ slogan and back-stabbed us to illegally occupy large chunk of our territory. Of late China has been stepping on India’s tail one way or the other. It is high time that India pay back in the same coin by changing our Tibet and Taipei policies. We must recognise Tibet and Taipei as independent countries and use our diplomatic influence to persuade other like-minded nations to do the same. This will certainly hit China where it hurts the most. The Chinese evil will have to be nipped in the bud.

AK SHARMA, Chandigarh

II

China’s antics over the visit of Indian dignitaries to Arunachal is really condemnable. Moreover, China is maintaining its presence in the Baltistan region of PoK (editorial Antony’s visit to Arunachal, March 1). Arunachal is a part and parcel of India. China has nothing to do with it. Under these circumstances, we must be on our guard and maintain our defence so that we may not be caught napping as in 1962.

AMAR JIT SINGH GORAYA, Australia

Learning disorders

Learning disabilities, or learning disorders, are an umbrella term for a wide variety of learning problems. A learning disability is not a problem with intelligence or motivation. Kids with learning disabilities aren’t lazy or dumb. In fact, most are just as smart as everyone else.

Their brains are simply wired differently. This difference affects how they receive and process information. The most common types of learning disabilities involve problems with reading, writing, maths, reasoning, listening and speaking.

Parents play the most important role in helping their children in overcoming any kind of disability. With the right support and training, children with learning disabilities can tackle the obstacles they face in the classroom and thrive in all areas of life. Children and their families may benefit from psychological counselling. It is important to face the problem early on. An educational specialist can teach effective learning strategies to help a child overcome his or her learning problems.

All children need love, encouragement, and support. For kids with learning disabilities, positive reinforcement can help ensure that they emerge with a strong sense of self-worth, confidence, and the determination to keep going even when things are tough.

Dr SHRUTI K.CHAWLA, Chandigarh

Diplomacy is important

It was big news for Malayalam channels when two Italian mediapersons were interrogated by the Kerala police for video-graphing the premises of the court hearing the case related to the killing of two Indian fishermen by the Italian marines off Kollam Coast on February 15.

Everything inside and outside the country is available on Google Earth. Perhaps the Italians sought an easy way to collect data.

The firing incident is a tragic incident but the way in which the Government of India and their Italian counterpart are handling it is clumsy. Instead of Italy, if it were US or China the whole picture would have been different.

K A SOLAMAN, Alappuzha

Jat protest

The Jat protestors have been sitting on a dharna on the Bhiwani- Hisar rail track for the past 10 days halting the movement of trains completely. Everyone has a right to raise his demand but the manner in which the common man has been made to suffer this time is deplorable. When the state government has constituted the Backward Classes Commission to consider the demands of reservations and the matter is already in progress, there seems to be no logic to the ongoing stir. There are many other legal channels to raise demands in a democracy. Why is the government not taking necessary steps to end the sufferings of common man due to this agitation?

RAJNARAYAN, Rohtak

Take it easy! The germ of forgetfulness is present in everyone (middle ‘Forgetful ourselves’ Feb 27). Some common examples are -You open the fridge and forget what is to be taken out, you forgot your cellphone, wallet or spectacles at the most common places and look for it everywhere in the house. The pace of life these days is so fast that the stressful mind is full to the brim. The writer’s prayer deserves applause. It teaches us to bear the shortcomings of others as no one is perfect. To tackle forgetfulness, we should maintain a diary and remember to keep it at our bedside. Steal out some time from your daily schedule for leisure activity, stroll in the garden and admire the bounties of nature. SHIVANI DUA, Jalandhar