Unseemly motley

Apropos the article "Al Qaeda-IS Warning" by B G Verghese (September 8), makes a mockery of the reader. The writer starts with a serious and high-sounding note purporting to give some insight into this burning problem. Then suddenly, in the fifth para, he starts talking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address on Teachers' Day. Then he switches to the Sukna lake scam, then to the problem of Kashmiri Pandits and after that to dairy farming and in the last para, he is worried about the falling population of donkeys. Inflicting an unseemly motley of different topics trashed under one article brings to mind a reverie of recipes like bhindi-custard, or stuff like washing machine-cum-nailcutter, or pressure cooker-cum-dog whistle.

Pradeep R, New Delhi

Selfless service

Our armed forces are known for their belief in secularism and dedication to whatever duty is entrusted to them, be it in fighting the enemy in war or rescuing people of any region or religion during natural calamities. In the recent Kashmir floods, they have risked their own lives to save lakhs of marooned people even as the government of Omar Abdullah failed miserably and proved inept in handling the grim situation. But the rabble-rousers and separatists, have floated an uncharitable rumour of communal preference in the rescue of the marooned people. These ungrateful elements, as is their mischevious habit, have even incited the marooned people to pelt stones and heap abusive slander onto their selfless rescuers. We should be proud of our armed forces who maintain their disciplined objective and function in spite of insulting misbehaviour, stiff resistance and provocations from the incited unruly mobs.

LJSingh, via email

Cooperate with army

Undoubtedly, the recent floods in J&K have caused havoc in the Valley and people are facing great hardships due the flooding and submerging of their houses and the death toll has been rising. People are expressing their anguish against the administration for not coming to their rescue in time. Their anger is justified. Despite all this, they should remain patient, cool and calm and cooperate with the relief and rescue teams as the Army and NDMF are working 24x7 to rescue the lives and property of the people at the risk of their own lives.

Other government agencies and philanthropic organisations should join the rescue and relief operations. Let us not politicise the issue and come out of this nature's scourge like people in the USA and Japan do under such situations without making much noise and by their own grit.

Dr Puran Singh, Nilokheri (Karnal)

Disaster management

The lack of administrative mechanism to deal with calamities such as the floods in Jammu and Kashmir prove that disaster management training programmes need to be undertaken in schools and colleges and by all local bodies. Also, relief centres should be set up in each district so that valuable life and assets are saved in such situations. The disaster is more manmade than natural.

Sanyam Bhatia, Amritsar

Badals’ fuel bill

Apropos the shocking news item “Rs 1 lakh daily fuel bill of cavalcade accompanying Badals” (September 10), I think it is highly shameful that even after our 68th celebration of democracy, our political leaders lack democratic values. On the one side, citizens of our country are suffering from floods, hunger, poverty, riots etc and on the other side, spendthrift politicians like Badals are spending crores of rupees on just their cavalcades. This attitude is reminiscent of the autocratic regime, the difference being the autocrat is ascended to the throne through a more sophisticated institutionalised form. Had the amount spent on the cavalcade been sent to J&K, it would have given a new life to many families. Alas! This is not the case.

The time is ripe to ask these kind questions to spendthrift politicians, when they come to canvass for votes and to make them more accountable.