Diplomatic breakthrough for India

The release of eight retired Indian Navy personnel, who had been sentenced to death in Qatar, and the dropping of espionage charges against them come as a significant diplomatic breakthrough. What makes it even more remarkable is the fact that the development comes after weeks of appeals and diplomatic efforts by the Indian government. The release of the ex-Navy personnel would not have been possible without the intervention of PM Narendra Modi, who met the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai in December last year.

Ramesh G Jethwani, Bengaluru

Politicisation of Bharat Ratna

Apropos of the editorial ‘Bharat Ratna for trio’; the Narendra Modi government’s decision to confer the highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, on two former PMs in the election year is definitely political. It is true that all those honoured are remembered for their contribution to the nation. But why confer the award on so many leaders in such a short span? If the coveted award is being given away for political reasons, it will set a bad precedent, as it is going to erode the credibility of the honour. The politicisation of the Bharat Ratna does not augur well for the Indian polity.

MD Sharma, Shimla

Bring culprits to book

Refer to the editorial ‘Haldwani violence’; the clashes underscore the critical importance of prioritising peace and communal harmony over the unchecked fervour of agitated crowds. It is disconcerting that, despite intelligence reports, the Uttarakhand CM did not intervene proactively to prevent the escalation of tensions. Post-crime reactions cannot serve as a justification for overlooking the responsibility to prevent such occurrences. In a developing nation like India, the loss of lives and extensive damage to public property cannot be tolerated. It is imperative for the authorities to thoroughly investigate the matter and ensure that the culprits face legal action.

Vijay Kumar Katial, Panchkula

No lesson learnt

It is unfortunate that neither farmers nor the government has learnt any lesson from the year-long farmers’ agitation that caused traffic disruptions, inconvenience to commuters and economy losses. Large, medium and small-scale industries in Bahadurgarh suffered losses running into thousands of crores of rupees because of the Tikri blockade. The farmers’ movement was apparently hijacked by radicals. Violence at some protest sites belied the claim that the agitation was peaceful. Instead of blocking the farmers’ march, they should be allowed to gather for a peaceful protest at the Jantar Mantar or some other site, but only as long as they do not disrupt normal life. It is sad that farmers prefer to hold protests regarding their demands rather than have a constructive dialogue with the government.

Wg Cdr Cl Sehgal (retd), Jalandhar

From bad to worse for INDIA

Just weeks after West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announced that her party, the Trinamool Congress, would go it alone in the Lok Sabha elections in her state, AAP and Congress have decided to go solo in Punjab. It is clear that the INDIA bloc, which took off so well that it got the BJP to review its strategy for the polls, is faltering. The Opposition grouping seems to have shot itself in the foot. The recent exit of Nitish Kumar had already left the bloc high and dry. We no longer have any reason to expect surprises in the General Election.

Deepak TAAK, Panchkula

Increase medical seats

Apropos of the report ‘Increase medical seats in UG, PG courses, says House panel’; the recommendation by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health to significantly increase medical seats in both undergraduate and postgraduate courses is welcome. We need more doctors in this country. However, adding seats to the existing government institutions will defeat the purpose of quality medical education. We need more public-private or private institutes. Further, the panel’s suggestion for adopting an India-specific approach to consider the nation’s healthcare needs is on point. However, there is also a need to have a state-specific approach.

Ashok Uppal, by mail

Letters to the Editor, typed in double space, should not exceed the 200-word limit.

These should be cogently written and can be sent by e-mail to: Letters@tribunemail.com

#Indian Navy #Qatar