Road to democracy

Road to democracy

* Shekhar Gupta's 'Pak Spring?' (IE, January 14) reinforces the belief that Pakistan's status as a democratic nation remains elusive. The Pakistan government's refusal to implement the National Reconciliation Ordinance verdict raises doubts whether the judiciary is truly independent or is expected to rubber-stamp political indiscretions and military coups. Despite an ebullient media, political expediency caters primarily to fundamentalist and Chinese interests, both of which are often offenders of democratic institutions. The current political imbroglio is a curious anomaly.

— Sudipta Das Kolkata

Wrong target

* This refers to 'Maya hits back: EC order on statues casteist, anti-Dalit' (IE, January 16). Mayawati's accusation that the constitutional body is casteist and anti-Dalit is improper and unwarranted. Likewise, the Election Commission and politicians must realise that election symbols do not hold sway over voters. These matter only when they use the voting machine.

— M.C. Joshi Lucknow

Anti social media

* Apropos 'India isn't China' (IE, January 14), the fuss about "objectionable" online content is unnecessary. The advocates of this move should be reminded that this is a democracy and people are entitled to express their views freely. and social media provides a platform for that.

— Kshitij Pandya Nadiad

On our feet

* Congratulations to the government and social workers who worked hard to make India virtually polio-free ('Ocean in a drop', IE, January 16). While we have been able to take care of one problem, another warrants attention and that is malnutrition of children. Our approach to child healthcare has to be holistic. A focused child health policy will ensure that our future generations are healthy.

— Virendra Kumar Singh New Delhi

Put to Test

* Now that it looks inevitable for some of our older cricketers to bow out of the Test side, where are the replacements? On the one hand, there is a problem of plenty in the shorter versions of the game, and on the other, we are unable to put together 11 players to form a winning combination in the longer version, particularly while abroad. Tournaments like the IPL have clearly taken precedence over playing and winning for the country. We have to infuse young blood into the team and hope for a better future in Test cricket.

... contd.

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