Letters to The Editor — January 7, 2026

The U.S. and Venezuela

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s removal is, successful itself, not a tragedy. But the mode it happened, without ineligible authorization and planetary legitimacy, sets a unsafe precedent, providing justification for authoritarians successful China, Russia and elsewhere who privation to predominate their neighbours.

If arresting Mr. Maduro brings prosperity and state to Venezuela, the cognition volition beryllium judged a large success. But if it brings greater chaos, arsenic was seen successful Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya pursuing the U.S.’s interventions, it volition erstwhile again beryllium an illustration of tactical occurrence not translating into strategical gains.

R. Sivakumar,

Chennai

The apprehension of Venezuela’s President is besides a disturbing reminder of however governmental sovereignty contiguous is inseparable from integer sovereignty. A reliance connected foreign-controlled connection platforms, navigation systems and integer infrastructure tin exposure governmental enactment to surveillance, tracking, and strategical coercion. This improvement carries important lessons for India. The Venezuelan occurrence should, therefore, not beryllium seen arsenic a distant geopolitical event, but arsenic a cautionary signal.

Niraj Kumar,

Bakhari, East Champaran, Bihar

Salaried class, the Budget

As a salaried professional, I await Budget 2026 with measured optimism. Fixed incomes stay nether sustained unit from inflation, housing, acquisition and health-care costs. Many taxpayers expect a thoughtful surprise: raising the basal exemption bounds to ₹5 lakh, oregon expanding the modular deduction to ₹1 lakh. Such steps would easiness compliance accent for honorable earners. Far from weakening revenues, this alleviation tin spur depletion and amended voluntary compliance. A Finance Minister’s credibility rests connected recognising the salaried people arsenic partners successful growth. Budget 2026 offers an accidental to reenforce fairness, subject and sustainability nationwide.

Vivek M. Jain,

Chennai