Absurd belief
Sir — Usually, students find excuses to bunk school. But it was surprising to read that students of a government school in Bahanaga, Odisha, are not being allowed to go to school by their parents. Apparently, the adults suspect that the school premises are being haunted by spirits as they were used as a morgue after the train accident in Balasore. People in India have no qualms about purchasing second-hand apartments or cars. Should paranormal investigators now be employed to conduct rigorous background checks on residential complexes in order to find skeletons hidden in the cupboard?
Abhijit Panda,Bhubaneswar
Still burning
Sir — The news of barbarity coming from Manipur is shocking (“Child, mom, kin burnt alive in ambulance in Manipur”, Jun 7). A mob of thousands of Meiteis allegedly burned down an ambulance transporting a seven-year-old boy and his mother, along with their 37-year-old relative. Clashes between the Kukis and the Meiteis have resulted in the loss of many lives and displaced thousands. The Union home ministry has failed to restore peace, while the prime minister has busied himself with election campaigns in other states. The imposition of president’s rule is the need of the hour in Manipur. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in the state has proved to be impotent.
A.K. Chakraborty,Guwahati
Sir — The ongoing conflict in Manipur has now reached unmanageable proportions. The state government has failed to bring peace. The Centre should now arbitrate between the two warring communities and try to fulfil their demands in order to prevent further loss of lives.
Piyush Somani,Guwahati
Sir — The macabre display of violence in burning down an ambulance transporting injured people to a hospital is horrifying. It matters little if the victims were Meiteis or Kukis. The perpetrators should face the harshest punishment possible. The people of Manipur should demand the imposition of president’s rule, just as the BJP had after the Bogtui massacre in 2022.
Kajal Chatterjee,Calcutta
Peace offering
Sir — The wrestlers seem to have suspended their protest under the influence of the government (“Protest on pause, not over: Wrestlers”, Jun 8). Rumours in the media about the father of the minor who had been harassed withdrawing his complaint also seem to be a targeted measure to discredit the movement. However, the popular perception that ministers in the ruling dispensation are shielding the accused, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, may prove costly for the Bharatiya Janata Party.
G. David Milton,Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
Sir — After a long tête-à-tête with the Union sports minister, Anurag Thakur, the protesting wrestlers seem to have received assurances that the investigation into the charges filed by them will be completed by June 15, and that the election for the post of chief of the Wrestling Federation of India will be held by June 30. The BJP-led government may have taken hurried steps to resolve the protest in view of the upcoming general elections.
Muzakkir Khan,Mumbai
Sir — Positive discussions between Anurag Thakur and the protesting wrestlers may go some way towards healing the wounds inflicted on them by the Delhi Police recently. The grapplers’ demand for the immediate arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is completely valid. No political games should be played to protect Singh just because he is a powerful leader.
Babulal Das,North 24 Parganas
Sir — The wrestlers were hasty in pausing their protest since Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is still roaming free.
S.A.K. Sinha,Gaya
