Freedom cannot be absolute

With reference to ‘Morality, decency and free speech’ (The Great Game); freedom of speech is a fundamental right in any democratic and civilised society. Rabindranath Tagore’s famous poem ‘Where the mind is without fear’ envisioned a nation where people could express themselves freely and without fear. However, this freedom cannot be absolute; unchecked speech without any self-restraint can cause harm. In today’s digital age, expression can easily cross the thin line from sharing a viewpoint to abuse or misinformation. The aim should be not to silence truth, but to protect dignity and harmony through responsible expression.

K Kumar, Panchkula

Allow room for dissent

Apropos of ‘Morality, decency and free speech’; even if the Supreme Court urges citizens to self-censor, where is the common man supposed to seek protection? Freedom of speech is not granted to echo the majority opinion, but to allow room for dissent, even if it raises uncomfortable questions. In a civilised democracy, decency cannot be selectively applied or dictated by street sentiment. If morality becomes a subjective tool in the hands of majoritarian outrage, the Constitution’s safeguards lose meaning. It is not the citizen’s job to pre-empt someone else’s reaction; it is the State’s responsibility to protect lawful expression. Let us not reverse this role.

Naresh Kumar Nijhawan, Karnal

The hard right calling the shots

With reference to ‘Morality, decency and free speech’; it will take two decades or more to change the mindset of our society because the hard right has entered the judiciary, bureaucracy and every other pillar of governance, besides educational institutions and textbooks. The psyche of the youth has been adversely influenced in the name of religion. It will be a monumental task to reverse it. We need to develop the ability to convey subtle messages without hurting anybody’s sensibilities.

Col Jasjit Gill (retd), Ludhiana

Where are Pahalgam attackers?

Apropos of ‘Terror tag’; the US has declared Pakistan-backed The Resistance Front a global terrorist organisation. This is a victory of India’s efforts, but the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack are still at large. The US and the UN designated Hafiz Saeed a global terrorist. Washington even announced a $10-million bounty on his head. Despite this, terrorist organisations are active in Pakistan. Saeed has been kept in jail, but he continues to operate unabated. His son, Talha Saeed, is in charge of spreading terror. The irony is that the US has not asked Pakistan to hand over Saeed and Masood Azhar. This is ample proof of American hypocrisy.

RK Arora, Mohali

Attempt to shield Pakistan

Refer to ‘Terror tag’; The Resistance Front (TRF) is just a proxy for the proscribed LeT. The US banned the terrorist organisation but has not held Pakistan responsible for sponsoring cross-border terrorism in India. Now, the TRF has been banned but our troublesome neighbour has not been named for the Pahalgam attack. The SCO and the Quad did not mention Pakistan in their joint statement. Reluctance to blame a nation for shielding and harbouring terrorists cannot be justified. India will have to fight the war against terrorism on its own. The US, Russia and China have their own agendas.

Wg Cdr JS Minhas (retd), Mohali

Russian oil on NATO radar

Refer to ‘Fuelling hypocrisy’; the Russian oil sanction threat to trade partners is intended to choke Russia’s war funding and force President Putin into agreeing to a ceasefire. But in doing so, the US and NATO risk undermining their relationship with one of the world’s largest economies and an essential ally in the Indo-Pacific. The NATO threat to stop Russian fuel export is bound to drive up oil prices, resulting in increased inflation in most countries, even in the US. The Ministry of External Affairs’ statement on NATO’s double standards has served as a timely reminder to the West, particularly Europe.

PL SINGH, by mail

Letters to the Editor