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• With reference to Harneet Singh’s report, ‘‘With apologies to Dr Ramadoss’’, while the on-screen ban on smok...

• With reference to Harneet Singh’s report, ‘‘With apologies to Dr Ramadoss’’, while the on-screen ban on smoking may be ridiculous, it is equally stupid to justify smoking in films. For instance, Sharmila Tagore did not win the National Award for Mausam just because she smoked in the film. And neither did Amitabh Bachchan’s Deewar make the impact it did because of the smoking. Why should creativity be so limited that it has to depend on use of cigarettes to portray an image? And it is true that fans do tend to copy their idols, be it their clothes, hairstyle or smoking.
Amjad K Maruf

• The government’s order to ban smoking on the big and small screen is a ridiculous decision. If the government is so health conscious, the best course of action would be to ban manufacture of cigarettes and wine. Can the government do that? No, because it rakes in a fat sum as taxes from these industries. Moreover, how about banning rape scenes in films and TV serials?
Mahesh Kumar

• Tavleen Singh is right in questioning the appeasement policy of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, ‘‘The Santa of Secularism’’. How else would you explain Sonia ‘‘using the rally’’ of Jamaat-e-Ulema-e-Hind in the Capital to ‘‘caste aspersions on the former BJP-led NDA government’’ by once again branding it as a ‘‘communal’’. What was she doing when she took credit for ‘‘repealing POTA’’ and promised Muslims that ‘‘all their genuine demands would be addressed’’?
S K Gupta

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• Why do our politicians keep raising the issue of secularism to misguide the people. While drafting our Constitution, our Constituent Assembly members took into account the multi-religious population of the country and ensured that no authority could tamper with its secular nature. But do our politicians understand this? The truth is that people of all religions enjoy equal status and continue to co-exist in perfect harmony. Politicians raise the bogey of communalism/ secularism only to get votes.
V P Damodar

• Tavleen Singh’s preoccupation with Sonia Gandhi makes her blame the Congress president for all the evils, real or imagined. How about changing tracks and doing some soul-searching analysis of L K Advani’s new avatar, in view of his recent praise of Jinnah.
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee

• With reference to Pamela Philipose’s column, ‘‘May the boFors be with us (always)’’, I would like to point out that there is smoke only when there is a fire. Former CBI director Joginder Singh has already revealed that the investigating agency had to work under political pressure. Therefore, deliberate dilution of the Bofors case so that the Court would quash it cannot be ruled out. However, spending Rs 250 crore on a case involving Rs 64 crore highlights the other bitter aspect of Indian governance, where bureaucrats are as liberal as their political masters while spending public money.
Subhash C Agrawal

Write to yourvoice@expressindia.com

India warns of ‘likely humanitarian consequences’ after US H-1B visa fee hike

India42 min ago

India voices concerns over new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa, citing humanitarian impact and family disruptions. Government urges US to address issues, while industry and policymakers study the move for mutual benefits. September 21 deadline for H-1B visa holders to return to US could affect skilled Indian professionals, who make up 72% of beneficiaries.

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