Sir — The Indian army chief, Bipin Rawat, recently said that if Pakistan has to stay together with India, then it must develop as a secular state. Rawat should not have overstepped his jurisdiction. The role of the army chief is to protect the country from external aggression and not to comment on matters of foreign policy. It seems that Rawat played the religious card to appease the present establishment in New Delhi. His comments can exacerbate tension in the subcontinent.

The Imran Khan-led government in Pakistan has made peaceful overtures to India. The opening of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims is one such warm gesture. At this juncture, India cannot risk being seen as belligerent and averse to peace talks. New Delhi must formulate an intelligent foreign policy to maintain its image of a peace-loving nation in the international community.

Chanchal Nandy,

Burdwan

Sir — Bipin Rawat’s statement that Pakistan being an Islamic state cannot stay together with India sounds a trifle odd. Pakistan is not the only Islamic country in the world. If India can maintain cordial relations with other Islamic nations like Bangladesh, then Pakistan’s Islamic identity should also not be a determinant.

Lambasting Pakistan for its sponsorship of terrorism in Kashmir is one thing. But questioning that nation’s religious affiliation is wholly different. The army chief should not engage in loose talk.

Khokan Das,

Calcutta

Bizarre query

Sir — The Norwegian football player, Ada Hegerberg, made history when she became the first female recipient of the Ballon d’Or award. But the historic moment was spoiled by a bizarre question by the French disc jockey and the event’s host, Martin Solveig. Moments after Hegerberg received the trophy, Solveig asked her whether she knows how to twerk. This left many in the audience flabbergasted.

Solveig later blamed his poor knowledge of English for the gaffe. However, he should have extended an unconditional apology. His query had nothing to do with his grasp over English, but everything to do with sexism.

Rohit Bhattacharjee,

Calcutta

Mob rules

Sir — A cop and a youth lost their lives when a mob clashed with policemen in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh (“Killers return”, Dec 6). The violence broke out following the alleged discovery of cow carcasses in a village in the district. This incident is indeed shocking. If even policemen are not safe, then one can easily gauge the plight of the aam aadmi in Uttar Pradesh. However, what is even more appalling is that some political leaders continued to make provocative speeches even after the death of two persons. It is the responsibility of the politicians to keep the nation together and not divide it along communal lines.

A. Zafar,

Mumbai

Sir — After the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power at the Centre in 2014, members of the Dalit and minority communities have often faced attacks over rumours of possessing beef or slaughtering cows. Sadly, these attacks have continued to take place even after the Supreme Court said that “horrendous acts of mobocracy” cannot be allowed to overrun the law of the land and issued guidelines to deal with mob lynching and cow vigilantism. The violence in Bulandshahr is yet another example of the failure of the law and order machinery. Cow vigilantes seem to believe that they enjoy the backing of the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath. This is most disappointing.

S.S. Paul,

Nadia

Sir — If the police in Bulandshahr had taken strong steps earlier, then the mob would not have mustered the courage to attack the law-keepers and destroy public property. One hopes that the police will take a lesson from this episode. It is their responsibility to ensure that every community feels safe in the country.

M. Azim,

Mumbai

Sir — A station house officer posted in the Bulandshahr district, Subodh Kumar Singh, died of injuries sustained during clashes between the police and gau rakshaks. However, the deceased cop’s family members have raised the possibility of a conspiracy behind the death. Therefore, a detailed and impartial probe needs to be carried out into the incident. Nevertheless, gau rakshaks need to be reined in. Violence under the pretext of cow protection is not a healthy sign for a secular democracy.

Manoj Shaw,

Ranchi

Sir — A mob in Bulandshahr set several vehicles and a police chowki on fire after allegations of cow slaughter surfaced. The violence is unfortunate and must be criticized without any ambiguity. Unless strong legal action is taken against the rioters, such crimes will continue to

take place. However, the police should also prevent the slaughter of cows, as it is an illegal act in Uttar Pradesh. The law-keepers must keep a strict vigil, as any transgression could snowball into a major controversy.

Benu Kumar Bose,

Calcutta