Centre can’t impose its will on TN

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s decision to withhold funds to Tamil Nadu till the state accepts the National Educational Policy (NEP) and the three-language policy must not be allowed to reach a flashpoint. It must be immediately reversed, if need be, by the prompt intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ‘Samagra Shiksha’ funds are not given to states from the minister’s pocket to make its release conditional. Pradhan should know that India is a union of states and not a unitary state for the central government to impose its will on the states. By taking unilateral decisions that are not acceptable to states, the central government is doing irreparable damage to “cooperative federalism” by which Prime Minister Modi swears. Imposition of Hindi in Tamil Nadu in the guise of the three-language formula would just be wishful thinking.

G David Milton, Maruthancode, TN

Babus must leave AC rooms, inspect works

It can be said that Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s remarks that IAS officers are confined solely to the AC rooms in the Secretariat have caused a stir. If senior officers do not conduct inspections, there is a risk that field employees may act negligently. This, in turn, increases the possibility of corruption and the misuse of government funds. Elected representatives and IAS officers should be more engaged with the public. Relying solely on virtual meetings for governance, without visiting government offices, may erode public trust. IAS officers play a key role in efficiently implementing government policies. It is neces-sary for them to go out, understand people’s issues firsthand, and monitor the work.

Srinivaas Goud Muddam, Hyderabad

Marital rape merits no legal immunity

It is but fair that no act of violence, whatsoever including marital, should be provided with immunity from punishment. The Union government can no longer argue that criminalising marital rape could un-dermine the institution of marriage. God only knows what the hell of suffering the deceased victim had undergone in the case of an unnatural act of sex indulged in by a 40- year-old man from Bastar district in MP. After all, the institution of marriage cannot claim so much sanctity, if it asserts impunity for an act of marital rape. It is time to revisit the relevant legal system.

Seshagiri Row Karry, Hyderabad

Krishnaveni a doyen of Tollywood

Actor Krishnaveni who acted in a few Telugu films more than seven decades ago and who introduced veteran actor Nataratna N T Ramarao in ‘Manadesam’ movie, died at her 102nd year in Hyderabad peacefully. In recognition to her services to the Telugu industry, she was honoured with Raghupati Ven-kaiah award very late in 2004 which should have been given much earlier or at least when NTR was the Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh. She was a very beautiful lady during her heydays. She was the only person in Telugu film industry who witnessed all genres of all famous actors and changes from 1935 till she breathed her last on 15-02-2025. She should be fondly remembered as a doyen of Tollywood.

N Ramalakshmi, Secunderabad

An oppn in disarray hurts democracy

It refers to “Theatrics, non-issues & disruptions will lead nowhere”. Former US President Abraham Lin-coln has once said that you can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time. It cannot be truer with our opposition leaders who tried their best to run a false narrative last year that reservation would be removed, and the Consti-tution would be dissolved if BJP came back to power. Your editorial has rightly pointed out that today’s INDIA bloc needs to learn a lot from the unity of 1977 opposition which dislodged a massively strong leader like Indira Gandhi. It is true that due to the lack of three D’s - Debate, Dissent and Decision – that the ruling dispensation can push through its bills.

Bal Govind, Noida

Illegal deportations: Act against agents

This is quite unfortunate that families who raised loans more than 50 lacs on average to send their wards through illegal methods to chase dollar dreams are now in a fix when the USA has started sending de-tainees back after Donald Trump’s swearing in. Post Covid jobs have shrunk and all countries got protec-tive and are never tolerating illegal workers snatching natives’ jobs. This is shameful that in our India such families don’t find a conducive atmosphere to start their own vocations with so much of the funds they arranged for illegal immigration. Blame game is on with the politicians. It will be in the fitness of things if GOI and States pass immediate ordinances to snub travel agents in the sordid business and de-ported youths be provided counselling and given hopes to settle in the country itself.

Brij Bhushan Goyal, Ludhiana