Letters to The Editor — March 17, 2025

The real election issues

The nation should thank the former Chief Election Commissioner, T.N. Seshan, for having introduced the voter ID card, among other reforms. That this important card greatly arrested the rigging of ballot papers is something we must thank him for. However, linking the voter ID card with Aadhaar (Page 1, March 16) will be a colossal waste of time. When each identification document is designed for a specific purpose, why cause confusion? Instead, the Election Commission of India (ECI) should focus strongly on allegations of manipulations in voter lists. The seeds of doubt have been sown in the minds of people and it is for the ECI to dispel these doubts. The challenges before the ECI are huge and it must ensure that it safeguards its reputation.

Balasubramaniam Pavani,

Secunderabad

America’s visa curbs

There seems to be much turmoil in the United States (“U.S. planning visa curbs on 41 nations”, March 16). Such nativist policies if implemented will certainly not augur well for the American economy. People frequenting the U.S. for better educational prospects or for tourism contribute to its GDP significantly.

Seemingly, in this great urge to foil illegal migration, the U.S. President is causing many problems. The U.S. ought to shun its strong-arm tactics and adopt a more inclusive policy that counterpoises national security concerns with the principles of globalisation — namely, the free movement of goods and people.

Aanya Singhal,

Noida, Uttar Pradesh