Sad state

The elevation of Sukhbir Badal to the post of Shiromani Akali Dal president proves that Indian politics is becoming more and more dynasty based.

8226; The elevation of Sukhbir Badal to the post of Shiromani Akali Dal SAD president proves that Indian politics is becoming more and more dynasty based.

What Badal junior does will be interesting once the final succession takes place. Hopefully, Sukhbir Badal will not interfere in religious affairs and will allow the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee SGPC and the Akal Takht to interfere freely. He has also stated that the Akali Dal is no longer a Sikh party and that it is a party of Punjabis all over the world. His father, the current chief minister of Punjab, should also stop using the expression 8220;Panth in danger8221; as he is so used to doing whenever he is out of power.

8212; Amarpal Singh

Gurdaspur

Legal rap

8226; The Law Commission has recommended that we prohibit marriages below 18 years of age for both boys and girls and bring in a legislation declaring all marriages between those below 16 years of age as void and those between 16 and 18 years of age as 8216;voidable8217;. This is a step in the right direction towards abolishing the menace of child marriages.

The suggestion that registration of all marriages irrespective of the couple8217;s caste and religious affiliations should be made compulsory in all states will act as strong deterrent against such illegal practices that are so rampant in the country.

8212; Pachu Menon

Margao

State of affairs

8226; Pratap Bhanu Mehta8217;s 8216;When state wants to wither away8217; was illuminating. The state was created by civil society to enable us to be free and experience security to life and property and happiness.

How can a duly elected government delegate its function to the Salwa Judum to enforce law and order? In fact, Naxalism is more a socio-economic problem and the government should work to remove poverty and initiate land reforms rather than arm its own people to fight each other.

It is sad and unfortunate that the government at the Centre is worried about the country8217;s internal security but is doing nothing concrete to solve it other than holding seminars. In fact, the state is going to wither away in several parts of India if politicians go on raising parochial issues and forget people8217;s problems after the elections.

8212; R.K. Mahajan

Shimla

Tax them freely

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8226; All political parties recognised by the Election Commission are exempt from paying income tax, but this privilege is subject to conditions. Some time back, the Supreme Court imposed a penalty on the BJP for organising a bandh. Now with MNS leader Raj Thackeray authorising the recent violence against north Indians, the Central government should withdraw the income tax exemption granted to Raj Thackeray8217;s Maharashtra Navanirman Sena.

8212; R. Shankar

Gujarat

Green pollution

8226; There are reports in the international media that bio-fuels could be responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels. With the severe cold wave continuing in north India, which is even reaching as far south as Mumbai, we are getting a taste of what the climate crisis could be like.

Therefore, there should be an international task force to oversee a transition to cleaner sources energy like nuclear, solar and wind energy as fast as possible.

8212; Manoj Singh

Mumbai