A judge needs to be above suspicion

Refer to ‘Public faith in judiciary at stake’; the dwindling faith of the people in the judiciary, which is the only ray of hope for millions of suffering masses, needs to be restored. A judge needs to be above suspicion, like Caesar’ wife. The higher judiciary still commands respect for being impartial and process-oriented in upholding the Constitution and the rule of law. Lately, the faith of the people has eroded due to undeserving persons being appointed as judges owing to nepotism. Judicial supremacy rests not only on constitutional provisions but also on sound legal principles and high moral authority of the judges. Justice is an ideal and law is a tool. To perpetuate an error is no virtue, but to rectify the same is a compulsion of the judicial conscience.

Anil Bhatia, Hisar

Laws are like spider’s webs

Apropos of ‘Public faith in judiciary at stake’; recent incidents like the recovery of a large amount of money from the outhouse of a Delhi High Court judge and eyebrow-raising decisions on sensitive issues like rape by the Allahabad High Court have eroded people’s faith in judiciary. There is a popular dictum — laws are like spider’s webs; the rich and the powerful break them and get away while the weak and the poor get caught in them. Also, justice delayed is justice denied. The number of pending court cases is so high that many people might not be able to see justice during their lifetime.

Anup Kumar Gakkhar, Haridwar

Igniting scientific minds

With reference to ‘Democratising science & tech, via indigenous R&D’; to fast-track development, scientific temper should form the anvil of decision-making to shake off archaic principles that prove to be speed-breakers in the path of progress. Science pre-supposes unprecedented freedom of speech and expression which is directly proportional to the confidence of the individuals. More than financial allocations, it is inspiration that works wonders in triggering the imagination of innovative minds. The Internet and AI have limitations in spurring the creativity of children.

Jagvinder Singh Brar, patiala

A witness to sterilisation drive

Refer to ‘How Pipli women resented coercive sterilisation’; I was a witness to the sterilisation programme at Pipli. While travelling from my village Silana to Delhi via Kharkhoda on November 30, 1976, the fully packed bus in which I was travelling was taken to Kharkhoda police station for coercive sterilisation. I somehow was allowed to go while many others were detained. On a call given by the khap panchayat, over one lakh people converged on Pipli on December 2, 1976, to resent the high-handedness of the government machinery. As a result, the overzealous sterilisation programme had to be stopped in the area.

LN Dahiya, Rohtak

SCO’s silence on Pahalgam terror

Apropos of ‘Duplicity on terror’; the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s silence on the Pakistan-backed Pahalgam attack starkly underscores its pro-China bias. Diplomatically disappointing for India, it is far from a failure. India stood firm on its principles, refusing to soften its stance despite opposition. Such outcomes are increasingly common, as divergent national interests often override moral standards. The SCO, founded to promote regional security and cooperation, now seems burdened by double standards. In today’s geopolitical climate, statements from such bodies carry limited weight. What truly matters is a nation’s defence capability, economic strength and strategic autonomy.

K Kumar, Panchkula

Attempt to lessen India’s influence

Apropos of ‘Duplicity on terror’; China’s rivalry with India appears to go beyond just territorial ambitions. There is a geopolitical dimension that will continue to persist with its efforts to whittle down India’s influence in SAARC and BIMSTEC to keep it boxed within South Asia. It will further strive to reduce India’s ascendancy in China-led organisations like BRICS and SCO while enhancing its support to member nations. India must ensure reciprocity in bilateral relations and should not yield or show even a hint of deference on matters of national sovereignty.

Vaibhav Goyal, Chandigarh

Letters to the Editor