Govt Must Speed Up Citizenship Confirmation
In response to 'The kill switch of citizenship', Rajesh Goyal of Chandigarh writes that the government, wary of first-generation illegal immigrants obtaining passports and Aadhaar cards, has declared these as mere travel and identity documents. Consequently, citizenship must be determined by other documents. It becomes the moral duty of the government to expedite the process of granting or confirming citizenship through that document. The Assam NRC took five years, and the final outcome is still pending. Similarly, if a name is struck off electoral rolls due to a clerical error, a swift restoration process should exist. The 'enable' and 'kill' switches of citizenship should operate at the same pace.
Akal Takht's Intervention Vital
Parvinder Singh of Chandigarh, referring to 'Takht vs Govt', argues that while the Constitution is supreme, the Akal Takht's moral and representative role concerning the Sikh community cannot be overlooked. The Sikh temporal body has expressed serious concerns over legislation affecting religious sentiments. When governments are unwilling to engage stakeholders, institutions step forward. Rather than viewing Akal Takht's intervention as an encroachment, it should be seen as a reminder that democratic governance thrives on consultation, sensitivity, and accountability.
Legal Recourse Best Way Forward
Raj Kumar Goyal of Patiala, commenting on the same issue, states that the Akal Takht's directive to the Punjab government to amend the anti-sacrilege law is legally untenable. It would be appropriate for the SGPC to take legal recourse to address the issue according to constitutional norms. This would help ease tensions between the Akal Takht and the state government as per the law of the land.
Populist Measures Unnecessary
Col SS Chauhan (retd) of Zirakpur, responding to 'Warning bells for Punjab's future', writes that the state stands at a critical crossroads where governance must take precedence over political rhetoric. Welfare measures have their place, but indiscriminate freebies without parallel economic growth risk an unsustainable burden on state finances. The government has faced criticism for the slow pace of fulfilling electoral promises. Punjab needs prudent financial management, decisive governance, and a long-term development plan rather than short-term populism. The time to act is now to prevent warning signs from becoming an irreversible crisis.
Community Misrepresented
Murtaza F Sadriwala, by mail, writes on behalf of the Dawoodi Bohra community regarding references in 'The judge who won’t budge'. The community supports judicial independence and the rule of law and condemns criminal conduct. However, the article makes sweeping assertions describing the community as 'a prosperous business community that is known to use money power to get decisions in their favour'. Such statements present a damaging stereotype without citing evidence, specific instances, or findings by any court or investigative authority.
Class-10 Students in Limbo
Anushka Gupta of New Delhi, a Class-10 student who appeared for CBSE Phase 2 exams, writes that while the Class-11 academic session has started in most schools, many students who took improvement exams cannot complete admission because updated results have not been released. Timely declaration of results or clear communication from CBSE would lessen the uncertainty faced by students and their families.
