Apropos of ‘Blinken’s priorities’, some themes appear to dominate his visit, one being strategic relationship. It is an open secret that the emergence of Quad is an attempt to ensure that China is constrained to play by the rules of the game, but that remains the unstated part. Quad, as both Blinken and Jaishankar emphasised, was looking at a constructive agenda, particularly vaccine supplies. By meeting Tibetan leaders, Blinken did well in underscoring US support to the community as it prepares for a post-Dalai Lama phase. By allowing this meeting to happen on its soil, India, too, has sent out a signal to China. And on Afghanistan, India and the US, in principle, have common goals in ensuring a democratic regime. On democracy, Blinken was careful to hint at the failings of democracy in the US, before making it clear how democratic values, institutional independence, and fundamental freedoms were crucial in cementing ties. Here also an unsaid part was that India appeared to be backsliding on these metrics. If there was any doubt about the strength of India-US relationship, the visit should put it to rest.

EL Singh by mail

Glitches in I-T portal

Refer to ‘Fix income tax portal’; it’s frustrating to observe that after a bumpy start to the Finance Ministry-mandated new income tax (I-T) e-filing portal on June 7, there does not appear to be any light at the end of the tunnel as yet. Various technical glitches and other infirmities, constantly flagged by the hapless taxpayers and chartered accountants, are still hanging fire as these have not been addressed by IT giant Infosys, the developer of the portal. One fails to comprehend the rationale behind the government rushing ahead with it. Some heads must roll for putting up such a poor show. The extended date of filing I-T returns is not too far away.

Vinayak G, New Delhi

Hope for Punjab

The Indian contingent is doing fairly well in the Tokyo Olympics. Hockey players from Punjab are performing outstandingly. One can draw an inference that the younger generation, more or less, is away from the prevailing drug menace in Punjab. The higher health authorities, local authorities, social workers and the media should help make efforts to rehabilitate youths who have become drug victims, to bring them back into the mainstream.

Ranjit Kaur Phull, by mail

IAF role underplayed

Refer to ‘Recalling Young India’s Kargil triumph’ by a former Deputy Chief of Army Staff; strangely not a word is mentioned about the crucial role played by the IAF in the Kargil victory. Similarly, in an interview, Gen VP Malik, who was the Army Chief then, while rightly praising the determination and fortitude of the Army troops, chose not to utter even a word about the IAF role in winning the war. This is unfortunate. The Kargil war was fought jointly by the Army and the Air Force. Victory would have been impossible without vital ‘air support’ provided by the IAF.

WG CDR CL Sehgal (Retd), Jalandhar

Discord between states

Apropos of the Assam-Mizoram border dispute, one cannot resolve a dispute without addressing its root cause. This assertion is bolstered by the recent clashes that erupted on the Assam-Mizoram border. On the face of it, it might seem that the skirmish was an isolated incident that arose from an act of encroachment but further inquiry will reveal that it was an outcome of an interstate border dispute that dates back to the colonial period. Its genesis lies in two notifications of the British administration issued in 1875 and 1933 that demarcated the interstate boundaries in different ways. While Assam abides by the notification of 1933, Mizoram argues that it was issued without any consultation with Mizo society. Therefore, to resolve this dispute, it is imperative that both states agree to a compromise by directly addressing its colonial roots and considering the legitimate claims of all stakeholders.

Nissim Aggarwal, Panipat

Circus in Parliament

The monsoon session of Parliament is going on, but it seems like it is not a session but a circus. All political parties are busy in creating hustle and bustle. The 543 members of the Lok Sabha are elected by people so that they can work for the people. But except a discussion on essential matters, everything is happening in the session. The Opposition is boycotting the session, the ruling party is not listening to anyone. The kisan parliament is much better than the real Parliament as they are at least discussing crucial matters. Ironically, even after almost 75 years of Independence, parliamentary members have to learn how to run Parliament from Kisan Sansad. If the monsoon session goes on like that, we can’t expect anything good from our elected members.

Ramanjot Kaur, Sultanpur Lodhi

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