Our freedom fighters - Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Subhas Chandra Bose and countless others - boldly challenged a powerful empire. An episode from the Ramayana offers an understanding of diplomacy. When Angad, son of King Bali, was set to leave for Lanka to secure Sita's release, he sought guidance from elders. Jambavan advised him thus: Diplomacy, yes - but anchored in dharma, and not afraid to show moral courage. A nation that forgets this balance may gain momentary reprieve, but it risks losing the moral compass.

KK Garg, Chandigarh

Silence may mean weakness

With reference to 'Modi's muted response to Iran strikes is not unprincipled'; Sonia Gandhi's response was strategic, not cowardly. Silence in the face of aggression is not maturity, it's weakness. India's interests, sovereignty and people deserve a stronger voice. The Central leadership must stand up for the nation, not justify being speechless. Principles and diplomacy play a major role in wars, even as humanitarianism must be a key consideration for the government.

Capt Amar Jeet (Retd), Kharar

India's muted response justified

Refer to 'Modi's muted response to Iran strikes is not unprincipled'; the article incisively justifies India's balanced stance on the West Asia conflict. Such situations need to be viewed in the wider geostrategic context. Considering the relations with Israel and the US, New Delhi's approach is pragmatic. National interests cannot be sacrificed at the altar of emotions. India's stand on the Iran-Israel-US conflict reflects maturity rather than abdication.

Harbinder S Dhillon, Una

War looms large in living rooms

With the Israel-US attacks on Iran as the backdrop, many news channels have created a war room in their studios. News anchors re-run old war clips, passing them off as that of the current war without blinking an eyelid. One news channel anchor announced "breaking news" that Iranian forces had captured the staff of the US consulate in Tehran. The fact is that the US had closed its consulate there in 1979. More sirens and sounds of bombings are heard in our living rooms (courtesy the electronic media) than at ground zero. The only silver lining is that the print media has not lost its sanity and is giving factual news.

Arun Hastir, Gurdaspur

Need a digital-savvy curriculum

Apropos of 'Social media curbs'; Karnataka's social media ban for the under-16 age group is well-intentioned but risks becoming a policy theatre without teeth: shared family devices blur ownership, schools mandate app-based learning and age verification remains technologically porous. The real intervention required is not a ban but a curriculum, with digital literacy taught as rigorously as mathematics, equipping children to navigate online spaces critically. They cannot be locked out until sixteen and then released unprepared into uncharted territory. Karnataka has initiated a necessary national conversation.

K Chidanand Kumar, Bengaluru

Just another Women's Day

We will continue to celebrate Women's Day year after year, but their condition continues to be the same in today's socio-economic system. Laws cannot change mindsets so they do not have the potential to wipe out age-old cultural norms that govern our lives. It is undeniable that we are progressing towards gender equality, but women in good positions too continue to suffer under the pressure of expectations to fulfil their responsibilities.

Raj Kumar Kapoor, Ropar