Sir — The news that Donald Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives earlier this week came as a relief. This impeachment is historic, as it is the first time ever in the United States of America that a president has been impeached twice. In 2019, he was charged with abuse of power and the obstruction of Congress; this year, the impeachment is on a charge of “incitement of insurrection” after the riot at the US Capitol. He had made a reportedly violence-inciting speech at a rally just before the riot; that speech is at the centre of the impeachment charge against him.

As the House of Representatives voted 232-196 to impeach Trump, they did so amid tight security. In fact, members of Trump’s own party echoed the Democrats in voicing the need to hold him accountable, and ominously said that there was a “clear and present danger” if Congress were to leave Trump unchecked before the inauguration of the president-elect, Joe Biden, on January 20. Charges of impeachment in the US are serious; it is rarely a process that is invoked unless there is sufficient cause for it. At least five people died in the riot caused by Trump supporters storming into the Capitol building, destroying property and getting in fights with police officers.

Now that the vote is in, the Senate is supposed to be holding a trial to prove Trump’s guilt. A two-thirds majority in the upper House will be required to impeach the president. However, it is unlikely that the Senate will convene before January 19, which would effectively mean that the trial will only begin after Trump renounces office on January 20. Had the trial taken place on time, and Trump been proven guilty, he would not have been able to contest the presidency the next time. However, in spite of the unfortunate timing, it would be foolhardy to allow Trump’s crimes to go unpunished, as it would set an unwanted and dangerous precedent. As long as he is held accountable and duly penalized, it will serve as a warning for future leaders who might think like him.

Ashish Ganguly,
Delhi

Sir — Following the January 6 attacks on the US Capitol while Congress met to formalize Joe Biden’s presidential victory, the House of Representatives impeached Donald Trump for the second time. Interestingly, ten Republicans also voted with the Democrats. The House adopted a single article of impeachment — one of the weightiest tools that the US Constitution gives to the Congress, to hold government officials, including the president, accountable for misconduct and abuse of power — voting 232 to 196 to charge Trump with inciting violence and requesting his immediate removal and disqualification from ever holding office again. The vote set the stage for Trump’s second Senate trial since 2019, although senators are not expected to convene to sit in judgment before January 20, when Biden will take the oath of office.

Even though time is limited, it is never too late to do the right thing. There is still enough reason to put Trump on trial even after he leaves the White House. The manner in which Trump, under the guise of patriotism, provoked a violent attack makes him deserving of an impeachment.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,
Faridabad

Well played

Sir — It was deeply heartening to read that the New Zealand skipper, Sophie Devine, hit the fastest century in the history of women’s Twenty20 cricket — 100 runs off just 36 balls — in a domestic match. This is a significant milestone because women’s cricket always tends to get sidelined — by spectators, advertisers and brands alike — in favour of men’s cricket, even though women are doing so many exciting things in the sport. Even in India, the achievements of the likes of Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami and Smriti Mandhana get overshadowed regularly. It is high time that women’s cricket attracted the same kind of attention and investment that the men’s game gets.

Aria Mitra,
Calcutta