Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
Modi, Shah creating confusion
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) holds a mirror to today’s India. It goes against the principle of equality unambiguously affirmed in the Constitution and sits ill with Article 14. Phrases such as ‘reasonable’ and ‘intelligible differentia’ cannot rationalise a blatantly discriminatory law which shakes the foundation of India as a secular democracy.
People of all castes and communities have lived in India since generations. Why are our political parties always trying to divide India on the basis of religion? Amit Shah and Narendra Modi are only trying to divide the country on communal grounds causing confusion in the minds of people.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Via email
CAB a controversial act
On 11th December 2019, the upper house of the Indian parliament (Rajya Sabha) passed the citizenship amendment bill (CAB) that offers citizenship to religious minorities from three South Asian countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
This bill grants citizenship to six religious minorities —Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhist, Jains, Parsis, and Christian, but Muslims are not granted. This unconstitutional decision is a conspiracy and an agenda of Hindu nationalist BJP government to marginalize the Muslims and give amnesty to non-Muslims. The United Nation Human Rights office also raised concern, that the bill which has been approved by Rajya Sabha –was discriminatory in nature.
Gautam Bhatia, a lawyer, says that “by dividing alleged migrants into Muslims and non-Muslims, the bill “explicitly and blatantly seeks to enshrine religious discrimination into law, contrary to our long-standing, secular constitutional ethos”. Similarly, Mukul Kesavan, a historian also says the bill is “couched in the language of refuge and seemingly directed at foreigners, but its main purpose is the delegitimisation of Muslims’ citizenship”.
SABA NAWAZ
Islamabad
2020 relief
Prime Minister Imran Khan has vowed that year 2020 will be a relief year for public. The price hike of petrol, electricity & gas is a true example of relief for poor people already squeezed by sky-rocketing prices of general commodities. Tall claims, if not supported by concrete actions, become hollow slogans and bring pain and anguish in general public.
Following the directions of IMF & World Bank our government is focusing on generating revenue from utilities, which has made it impossible for ordinary low-income groups to make both ends meet. The middle class is finding it difficult to sustain this dearness donned era; what to speak of lower middle class or people living below poverty line? How will change come to their lives? Who will bring happiness and joy to these people? A question that will remain unanswered for millions of poor people.
IFTIKHAR MIRZA
Islamabad
Happy New Year, dream big
Happy New Year and greetings to you all from grandparents, adults, teenagers, children to babies and pets. We have come to this day to celebrate New Year’s Day. Forget the previous year, and let us wish for a good new year, but remember to be positive and show positivity towards others in a respectful way. Spread joy and love wherever you go around and remember to have a smile on your face. This is the time to make some good changes into our future, it is the time to start a new magical journey and reach our destination. Let’s not give up, it’s a new year. We are more than what we are right now. Let’s stand up for who we truly are, but remember positivity, because it’s all about having a positive mindset. Think for yourself, if we didn’t show positivity, we wouldn’t reach this gorgeous New Year. Don’t be afraid of it. Just look for yourself, what the future has kept in store for us! Just wait and see! Let’s celebrate this gorgeous New Year together. No matter who it is, just be happy, it’s a new year! So let’s make people and our pets happy no matter what.
UNSHARA MATI
Via email
(Editor’s Note: The writer of letter is a 9-year old girl studying in G-4.)
Relay
A relay is an electrically operated switch. It consists of a set of input terminals for a single or multiple control signals and a set of operating contact terminals. The switch may have any number of contacts in multiple contact forms, such as make contacts, break contacts, or combinations there for relays are used where it is necessary to control a circuit by an independent low-power signal, or where several circuits must be controlled by one signal.
It works on the principle of an electromagnetic attraction. When the circuit of the relay senses the fault current, it energizes the electromagnetic field which produces the temporary magnetic field. This magnetic field moves the relay armature for opening or closing the connections. The small power relay has only one contact and the high power relay has two contacts for opening the switch.
The inner section has an iron core which is wound by a control coil. The power supply is given to the coil through the contacts of the load and the control switch. The current flows through the coil produces the magnetic field around it. Due to this magnetic field, the upper arm of the magnet attracts the lower arm. Hence close the circuit, which makes the current flow through the load. If the contact is already closed, then it moves in the opposite direction and hence open the contacts.
WAQAR KHADIM
Rawalpindi
Child labour
Children are assets of our country. They should enjoy their childhood and should not work in any hazardous jobs. Child labour remains a serious problem in many parts of the world. Many of these children live in underdeveloped countries. Their living conditions are crude and their chances for education are minimal. Child labour, designation formerly applied to the practice of employing young children in factories, now used to denote the employment of minors generally, especially in work that may interfere with their education or endanger their health.
The use of child labour was not regarded a social problem until the introduction of the factory system. Children in dire circumstances lead to poor health and suffer from various diseases such as malnutrition, skin diseases. Due to lack of literacy level and poverty, parents force their children to work and earn some money.
Preventing children from enjoying their childhood, hampering their development and causing lifelong physical or psychological damage is not only detrimental to families but also to communities and to society as well. Child labour should be banned so that children cannot be exploited by traders and industrialists. For this government should provide free education to the children.
SHABEELA KIRAN
Via email
