Net curbs illiberal

As citizens in a democracy, people have a right to browse through the Web — which has become the virtual space for global free speech. As Paranjoy Guha Thakurta says in his article On Internet, a need for definition (Jan. 31), an Internet censorship regime is “neither possible nor feasible”. It is an ill-conceived move on the part of a government headed by Manmohan Singh to whom goes the credit for ushering in the era of liberalisation when he was the finance minister.
Bhakti Vibhakar
Mumbai

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People’s role in polls

Assembly elections in five states of India have begun with Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur having already gone to the polls. While it is the responsibility of the Election Commission to ensure that elections are free and fair, it is also the duty of every citizen to be vigilant and assist the election watchdog by reporting any violation of the model code of conduct and irregularities during campaigns and polling. In states like Uttar Pradesh, where corruption is rampant, people should be particularly alert about the use of money and muscle power in the coming days.
Nirupam Bhattacharjee
Via email

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Golden era of tennis

After a gruelling six-hour fight, Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal in the longest final ever in tennis history. Although this is Djokovic’s third victory over Nadal, the rivalry between the two stars doesn’t seem likely to end soon. Moreover, with players like Roger Federer and Andy Murray in sublime form, this era of tennis will be remembered for long.
Ravikant Mishra
Via email

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Captain cautious

Indian Skipper M.S. Dhoni’s decision to offer to quit the Test captaincy for a better replacement is a wise one. After losing two consecutive overseas Test series, Dhoni was facing severe criticism from all quarters. However, the critics fail to understand that cricket is a team game. Targeting only Dhoni would never have a positive result.
L.P. Sharma
New Delhi