Drug trade

THE regularity with which drugs are seized is deeply worrying (‘Heroin seizures’). It can be safely assumed that for every seizure, at least 10 consignments pass unnoticed for distribution. The Taliban in Afghanistan has given a fillip to the drug trade via Pakistan. However the absence of any credible data on the drug usage in the country makes it hard to gauge the extent of the problem. Not even the best policed nations have been able to eradicate this menace. The huge profits in the trade enable the drug lords to buy out law-enforcing personnel. Educating children in schools against drugs would be a good step.

ANTHONY HENRIQUES, MUMBAI

Hate speeches

It is unfortunate that hate has seeped too deep into the roots of the religious conclaves that the SC has to intervene to direct the Uttarakhand Government to check hate speech at ‘Dharam Sansad’ in Roorkee. This time the wordings of the court appeared to be stronger than usual. Hate speech has become a routine activity of the so-called saints and religious leaders of the majority community. PM Modi has always chosen to be ominously silent on such occasions. Some CMs like Yogi Adityanath are known to have a soft corner for such religious fanatics.

Beant Singh Bedi, Mohali

Bitter pill for Congress

Apropos of ‘Kishor declines Sonia’s offer to join party, meets Sidhu’; Kishor has diagnosed the ailment of the party and prescribed a pill. His prescription of ‘leadership and collective will’ has been suggested by even most party members. The need of the hour is infusion of fresh blood and environment of free interaction. Crisis of faith has not percolated to the grassroots level. It is still confined to the upper and middle crust of the party. Therefore all that the party needs to regain its lost glory and ground is introspection and redressal.

DV Sharma, Mukerian

Power cuts

Refer to ‘No respite in sight from power cuts in Haryana’; while the government is reportedly trying to salvage its tarnished image owing to unprecedented and unscheduled power cuts, it should have drawn contingency plans to deal with any emergent situation. Despite the temperature soaring in the month of March itself, no one bothered to take the requisite remedial steps to save people from the onslaught of such an unsavoury situation.

Vinayak G, Panchkula

Keep it offline

Refer to ‘From May 4, only vaccinated kids from 12 to 18 years to attend school in Chandigarh’; the order says unvaccinated children under 12 years can attend school. These kids have no option but to attend school even though they are not vaccinated and can’t even wear mask properly. It is unbelievable how callous we can be decide that such children should attend classes wearing masks for long hours, or even not wearing a mask, which is hazardous both ways. If we can think about those aged 12 to 18 years, why not unvaccinated kids under 12 years, whom we are exposing in classrooms and school buses, just because of a random observation that they are not contracting Covid. The authorities should make online education an option for them till we are able to vaccinate them, to prevent the spread of infection.

Manisha Sharma, Panchkula

Army operations

With reference to ‘Winning hearts and minds vital for Army’; having operated in various affected regions, I can vouch for the Army’s technique that has wiped out insurgency from Mizoram, Punjab; minimised in Assam, Manipur, Nagaland; and brought it to its lowest ebb in J&K. We should be proud of our Army which is maintaining peace and tranquility in affected regions and keeping the borders safe, and desist from passing unwanted remarks against its modus operandi.

Col sajjan kundu, Hisar

Poor air quality

Refer to ‘Centre-state coordination must for cleaner air’; India’s efforts to reduce crop waste burning, a major source of air pollution during winter, by spending billions over the past years have done little to avert a deterioration in air quality. In 2018, the Modi government set out to tackle the problem by establishing a fund to help farmers get rid of paddy straw by mechanised harvesters, but in vain, as the machines were not available to them at cheaper rates. The government should, through its financial institutions, provide credit for buying crop waste, as pollutants from agriculture greatly affect water quality and can be found in lakes, rivers, wetlands and groundwater.

SAMEER PRUTHI, SIRSA

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