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Letters to The Editor — August 5, 2025

Letters to The Editor — August 5, 2025

The Hindu2 hours ago
Voter ID card issue
The Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, ought to have verified his previous records as far as his voter ID is concerned. There seems to have been a 'mixup of sorts'. Therefore, he would have to cooperate with the Election Commission of India (ECI). As far as the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar is concerned, is the entire bloc of Opposition parties agitated over the potential loss of vote banks after the intensive revision of electoral rolls?
Govardhana Myneedu,
Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
Pulling off a win
The Indian cricket team has pulled off an incredible victory over experienced opponent England at the Oval.
The energetic Indian team deserves fulsome credit. The team's success was also made possible due to sedulous care of the coach.
K. Chellappan,
Seattle, U.S.
Cynicism about the survival and the future of five-day Tests is baseless. The road ahead for this old and original format of cricket is as safe and bright as its new and modern versions.
M.V. Nagavender Rao,
Hyderabad
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Civil society groups hold symbolic hunger strike in Pune protesting atrocities against Palestinians
Civil society groups hold symbolic hunger strike in Pune protesting atrocities against Palestinians

Indian Express

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Civil society groups hold symbolic hunger strike in Pune protesting atrocities against Palestinians

UNDER THE banner 'A Hunger Strike of Solidarity – For Gaza!', several progressive organisations and concerned citizens from Pune came together on Saturday to protest the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine. The symbolic hunger strike, held at Sambhaji Garden, called for an immediate end to the violence in Gaza and demanded urgent food and medical aid for the Palestinian people. Chanting slogans such as 'Stop the genocide in Palestine!', 'Start food aid immediately!' and 'Free Palestine!', protesters demanded that the Indian government take a firm and unequivocal stand in support of Palestine, continuing its historical position of backing Palestinian sovereignty and justice. For nearly two years, and even before, Israel has been accused of carrying out relentless attacks on Gaza. Protesters highlighted that innocent women, children, and men are being killed daily in aerial bombings, and that the situation has worsened with Israel blocking the supply of essential goods such as food and medicines. They pointed out that this amounts to a deliberate starvation strategy , which can amount to a war crime. The protest in Pune was part of a larger international campaign from July 27 to August 3, during which citizens across the globe staged hunger strikes and solidarity demonstrations. The event was jointly organised by several progressive groups including the Stree Mukti Andolan Sampark Samiti, National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), Pune Collective, DYFI, SFI, Nava Samajwadi Paryay, Lokshahi Utsav Samiti, PUCL, among others. Several notable voices addressed the gathering. Prof. Dr. Parimal Maya Sudhakar spoke of India's historic opposition to the partition of Palestine and its consistent support for peaceful resistance led by Yasser Arafat. He warned against Israel's expansionist ambitions across Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon and urged the Indian government to uphold its legacy by supporting Palestinian liberation. Prof. Shruti Tambe highlighted multiple cases of gender-based violence committed by Israeli forces, and the cruel targeting of refugee camps and civilians asking for food. She cited alarming figures — over 18,000 Palestinian children have died in the past two months alone, many now dying due to hunger. Writer and academic Anjali Chipalkatti called the assault on Gaza a profiteering land grab disguised as war. 'This is not war,' she said, 'but a colonial strategy to displace a population and occupy land.' She emphasised that resisting such injustice is a moral and scientific imperative. The protest concluded with a united pledge by all participants to continue raising their voice for the people of Palestine, and to oppose injustice in all its forms across the world.

US tightens rules for issuing Green Cards with focus on married couples; how will it affect Indians?
US tightens rules for issuing Green Cards with focus on married couples; how will it affect Indians?

India.com

timean hour ago

  • India.com

US tightens rules for issuing Green Cards with focus on married couples; how will it affect Indians?

(Representational image: New Delhi: America has tightened the rules for issuing green cards for married couples. The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has issued a guideline in this regard. It talks about tightening the scrutiny of family-based immigrant visa applications, especially marriage-based applications. Its purpose is to eliminate fraudulent claims and ensure that green cards are approved only based on genuine relationships. This decision will also have a direct impact on Indian citizens, as Indians make up a large number of foreigners living in America. When were the new rules implemented? The new rules regarding green cards have come into effect on August 1. It also applies to all pending and newly filed petitions. USCIS has said that fraudulent visa petitions undermine confidence in family-based methods of obtaining lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. In such a situation, we are committed to keeping Americans safe by detecting foreigners with bad intentions. What are the new changes? The new guidelines tighten strict scrutiny and documentation processes. These include improved eligibility checks and adjudication processes for family-based petitions. Clear documentation along with photos, shared financial details and family affidavits will be required to prove a bona fide marriage. Couples will also undergo mandatory personal interviews, aimed at evaluating the authenticity of the relationship. Along with this, there will be a thorough scrutiny of immigration history. USCIS has added more stringent checks to its policy, especially for applicants who are already in the US on other visas and seek status adjustment through marriage. If a US citizen sponsors a foreign spouse, such as someone from India, then the couple will now have to provide solid proof of a bona fide relationship. What is the Green Card? The Green Card is officially called the US Permanent Resident Card. It is proof of the right to live and work permanently in the USA. It looks like a plastic card. It contains the person's information, photo, and fingerprints. The Green Card holder is considered a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR).

"Certified Anti-National": BJP After Top Court Raps Rahul Gandhi Over Army Remarks
"Certified Anti-National": BJP After Top Court Raps Rahul Gandhi Over Army Remarks

NDTV

time2 hours ago

  • NDTV

"Certified Anti-National": BJP After Top Court Raps Rahul Gandhi Over Army Remarks

New Delhi: As the Supreme Court slammed Rahul Gandhi over his remarks about the Indian Army, the BJP on Monday tore into the Congress leader and alleged that he has vowed to "weaken India and strengthen China". Calling the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha a "certified anti-national", the BJP claimed that the "China guru" (Gandhi) and his party also "hate" the Indian armed forces and that he is being "remote controlled by foreign forces". The ruling party also demanded an apology from him and the Congress for his remarks. The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the proceedings against Gandhi before a Lucknow court over his remarks about the Army during his December 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra. The top court, however, censured Gandhi, saying if he is a true Indian, he would not say such a thing. Citing observations made by a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that for the first time in the parliamentary history of the country, the Supreme Court had to make such a "stern remark" against a leader of the opposition. In a post in Hindi on X, Pradhan said, "Rahul Gandhi and the Congress have a history of insulting the army, whether it is the surgical strike or Operation Sindoor. They have questioned the sacrifices of our brave soldiers at every opportunity." Their loyalty is not to the nation but only to one family, which is why respect for the nation is not even part of their "fundamental thinking", he charged. "Today, the entire country is hurt by this anti-national mentality and expects an apology from Rahul Gandhi and the Congress," the senior BJP leader said. Latching on to the apex court's observations, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that Gandhi keeps making "immatured, irresponsible and anti-India comments" even though he has been rapped by various courts for such remarks in the past. "Today when the Supreme Court's comment has come, it won't be wrong to say that Rahul Gandhi has certainly vowed to weaken India and strengthen China," Bhatia told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here. In a post on X, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya said, "The Supreme Court has once again reprimanded 'China Guru' Rahul Gandhi for making irresponsible statements concerning India's national security and territorial integrity." "Imagine, a leader of the opposition being repeatedly rebuked for speaking such recklessly," he said. "Rahul Gandhi is now a certified anti-national," the BJP leader charged in another post on X. Showing a purported picture of Rahul Gandhi signing some document in the presence of Sonia Gandhi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, BJP spokesperson Bhatia claimed that the Congress leader had signed a party-to-party memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Communist Party of China. "That's why Rahul Gandhi was saying that our soldiers were thrashed by Chinese soldiers, be it (in) Doklam or Galwan, while every Indian was standing by India and brave soldiers of India," he charged. They never tell the people of India what was there in the Congress' party-to-party MoU with the Communist Party of China, he said. "It seems Rahul Gandhi has love for China and Pakistan in his veins, but no love for India," he added. Bhatia termed the apex court's observations as "very serious" and said with this, Gandhi's credibility has gone down to "zero". "Does India deserve a more responsible and a better Leader of Opposition (LoP)? As the LoP who has taken oath under the Constitution to protect the sovereignty of our country, is he destroying the sovereignty of our country? Is he helping nations that are inimical to our country? Is he demoralising the brave Indian armed forces?" he asked. Rahul Gandhi's credibility is "at stake", Bhatia said. Malviya also took on the Congress leader over his recent "dead" economy remark, calling it "a diplomatic disaster on multiple fronts". "His recent 'dead economy' jibe is just the latest in a long series. In doing so, he implicitly admitted that Russia, a long-standing ally, is struggling, while bizarrely endorsing a hostile state like Pakistan as having a robust economy," he said. Echoing US President Donald Trump's criticism of the Indian economy, Gandhi said on August 1 that everybody except Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman know that the country's economy is "dead". Referring to Gandhi's remarks on the surgical strike and Operation Sindoor, another BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the Congress leader and his party "hate" Indian armed forces. "Sena ka Apman Congress ki pehchan (Insulting the Army is the hallmark of the Congress)," Poonawalla said in a post on X. "Rahul and Congress hate Indian Armed Forces," he charged, adding, "Today SC has slammed him." Another BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said on X that the Supreme Court's poser to Gandhi about his claim exposed him. He said, "Supreme Court asks Rahul Gandhi - 'How did you know that China had occupied land?'" This question by the Supreme Court has not only "exposed" Gandhi, but further got the attention back on the "secret MoU that Gandhi-Vadra family had with China", he said. "Rahul is working under the remote control of foreign forces," Bhandari charged.

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