Daring divisions

Annulling river water accords violates the spirit of federalism. Asserting greater autonomy as Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder...

Annulling river water accords violates the spirit of federalism. Asserting greater autonomy as Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is seeking to do is not a good sign as it can lead to the disintegration of India. If one generation of leaders begins annulling decisions made earlier, governance could come to a halt. We are passing through a critical phase and there is need for accommodation and reconciliation rather than confrontation. Amarinder Singh appears to be on the warpath and he did not even deem it proper to consult his own party leaders like Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi. This is not the way to serve or promote the interests of his state. Moreover, Punjab has a rich tradition of hospitality. The step taken by the Punjab assembly cannot be lauded as it can cause irreparable damage to the social and political fabric of India.

— K.L. Batra Yamuna Nagar

• There’s been a lot of talk on the SYL canal. But nobody talks of what will happen to Punjab? If water is denied to Punjab, parts of the state could start resembling Rajasthan.

— Vikram Ludhiana

Protest’s an art

• It is certainly the duty of the opposition to protest against a minister against whom an arrest warrant is issued (‘Lok Sabha adjourned over Soren issue’, IE, July 20). But is it necessary to act like hooligans and disrupt proceedings in Parliament, the highest law-making body in the country?

— Sasidharan S. Menon Mumbai

Our differences

Story continues below this ad

• This refers to your editorial ‘Keep it in the plural: India has done well with its model of multicultural democracy. We need to do more’ (July 17). Despite the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002, India has retained her plural, multicultural character, especially after the defeat of the Hindu revivalist forces in the 2004 Lok Sabha election. Our republic’s Constitution laid the foundations of a pluralist India and Jawaharlal Nehru, who was prime minister for 17 years, firmly established it. As you rightly conclude: ‘‘We need to keep it that way; to work harder to keep it that way.’’ We may be 127th out of 177 countries in terms of the composite Human Development Index (HDI) but we are way up the ladder in terms of ‘‘cultural liberty in today’s diverse world’’ (the theme of the 2004 UNDP HDI Report).

— Vinod Chowdhury Delhi

With regret

• The Kumbakonam tragedy happened due to the carelessness of the school authorities. I was shocked to read that the teachers ran away, leaving their young wards to fend for themselves. Well, this is a wake-up call, though most unfortunate, for other schools. They should prepare for all contingencies.

—Aniket Singh Ambala

Stay with Azhar

• By this logic, the ICC should ban Mark Waugh, Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and all others whose names have been associated with match-fixing allegations (‘Eyebrows raised as Azhar’s back in circulation’, IE, July 19). This is too much. The ICC has no right whatsoever to restrict Azhar from commentating.

—Arun Gupta Bloomington

4 minutes, 1 window: How thieves pulled off the quickest-ever heist at Louvre Museum

World31 min ago

Thieves steal pieces from France's royal crown jewel collection in a daring heist at the Louvre Museum, using a crane to enter and escaping on motorbikes in just four minutes. The incident raises concerns about the museum's security and outdated measures, despite its popularity among millions of visitors.

View all shorts

Live Blog

PHOTOS