1) External Affairs Ministry acts cautiously
Union Ministry of External Affairs rightly exercised full caution towards invitation to the Union Minister for External Affairs for the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kartarpur Corridor by sending two ministers from the Sikh community to represent India instead of going herself. Such a wise step clearly indicated that India took the whole episode in a religious manner. It was clear that Pakistan intended to take undue advantage of the event when Pakistan Prime Minister involved Kashmir in his speech on an occasion which was purely religious. Presence of the Khalistan supporter Gopal Singh Chawla and Pakistan army chief on the occasion fuelled apprehension of opening of the much-needed corridor as a possible attempt by Pakistan to renew Khalistan-movement in India.
Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Siddhu, who went in the ceremony despite resistance by his Chief Minister, signing in full praise of the Pakistan Prime Minister should now justify his peace-efforts by persuading his friend Imran Khan to free Kulbhushan Jadav and send him back to India.
– Madhu Agrawal
2) Regulation of private airlines necessary
It refers to biggest private domestic airliner Indigo charging extra fees for web check-in. Evidently, this is an anti-consumer step when families or people travelling in a group will be provided separated seats if they do not pay extra for getting seats together. System of charging extra for preferred seats should be altogether abolished in economy class. However there may be provision of Business-Class and Premium-Economy-Class as it exists in Vistara- in case Indigo or other private airliners wish to increase their income.
Most private airliners are involved in many other malpractices also, like selling packaged food at multiple times higher than available in market. These airliners get Maximum-Retail-Price MRP printed high for being sold in airliners like rupees 100 against rupees 20 for a famous branded packaged juice. Such anti-consumer practices need to be abolished by concerned ministries taking cognizance.
Only recently GoAir on October 29,2018 in flight-number 145 from Delhi to Ranchi (seat-number 6A and PNR-number DE164B) could not provide pre-booked meal even from amongst the four options available in its menu-card. On lodging the complaint, GoAir simply offered a polished worded apology without even refunding the paid food-cost. There was no response from its Appellate Authority. Even grievances lodged on November 1, 2018, with Union Ministry for Civil Aviation through PG-portal and at websites of President and Prime Minister remain unresolved till date.
– Subhash Chandra Agrawal
3) Pak PM must be appreciated
The Prime Minister Pakistan of Imran Khan really deserves to be appreciated for his heartening move of Kartarpur pilgrimage corridor irrespective of all the conflicts between India and Pakistan. It is a great gift not only for the Sikh community also for the entire nation of India. Also it is expected that the corridor will be a milestone of all the disputes between both the countries and would promote peace and erase enmity between India and Pakistan and create infinite possibilities between them including the resumption of cricket ties as Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu also has said. I request the government of India to come forward with Pakistan to settle down all the differences and disputes.
– F.T.Mulla
4) A heartening move
It is heartening to see Pakistan and India announce the development of a pilgrim corridor, on both sides of the border, to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev. Imran Khan will lay the foundation stone for the corridor on the Pakistani side, while President Ram Nath Kovind and Amarinder Singh will do the foundation-laying ceremony on the Indian side. This is the first signs of a thaw in India-Pakistan relations that plummeted to a new low two months ago when a meeting of Foreign Ministers was cancelled and positions hardened on both sides after a soldier was mutilated on border. I hope this initiative will bring some measure of peace to the region, which is necessary for both countries to develop.
– Qayyum
5) I appreciate the Governor of J&K
In such an age when India is witnessing an autocratic system, Jammu and Kashmir’s Governor Satya Pal Malik is highly appreciated for his manful move for not looking upto Delhi and for not taking their instructions, thereby stopping the installation of a government of the BJP and its proxies. Though the Modi government wanted him to install Sajad Lone as the state’s Chief Minister, right before he dissolved the assembly last week, he did not listen to the Centre. Rather he said “I want to reiterate it that I would have had to form a government of Sajad Lone had I looked up to New Delhi, but I didn’t want to go down in the history as a dishonest man.” I expect hopefully that millions of my fellow citizens will join me to appreciate Malik’s courage and honesty for his responsibility.
– Mohd Rahmani
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
