Head out
Sir — To travel is to live, or so goes the saying. But now substance has been added to this axiom. A new study has suggested that going on holidays can slow biological ageing and keep one young and fit. According to the research, the experience of visiting new places and interacting with people lowers stress levels, elevates metabolism and boosts the immune system. However, the fountain of youth cannot be achieved without two essentials — money and free time. Perhaps this is a cue for employers to incentivise their workers with leaves and travel allowances to get better productivity out of them.
Shipra Bhowmick, Calcutta
Trust deficit
Sir — In “The truce is temporary” (Oct 23), Charu Sudan Kasturi correctly puts the recent Sino-Indian border truce announcement into perspective by analysing the historical cold relations between the two neighbours. The timing of the border agreement came on the eve of the BRICS summit, beckoning the realignment of the two Asian giants. It must be noted that since the 2020 border clashes, Beijing has not shown any willingness to ease hostilities and withdraw troops from India-claimed lands. The sudden effort to make peace may be China’s attempt to keep India in good humour at a time when the latter is being increasingly cornered by the West over the targeting of Khalistan activists on foreign soil.
P.K. Sharma, Barnala, Punjab
Sir — India and China agreeing on disengaging at the border marks a thaw in their frosty ties (“New deal”, Oct 23). But the deal leaves some key questions unanswered. For instance, it is not clear whether patrolling rights have been restored along the entire LAC or just in specific areas. Further, the deal does not come clean on the status of the buffer zones created during the conflict. The disengagement deal must ensure that neither side loses territory in the future in the form of buffer zones.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Sir — The announcement of the border deal was followed by a meeting between the prime minister, Narendra Modi, and the Chinese president, Xi Jinping. This was the first time they met since the deadly border clashes in 2020 strained ties between the two sides (“Fruitful”, Oct 25). Persuading China to revert to the pre-2020 patrolling rules in eastern Ladakh may be seen as an achievement for Indian diplomacy. But doubts persist about whether China can be trusted to abide by the pact.
T. Brajesh, New Delhi
Sir — India’s wariness of China disregarding the border deal is justified. India’s past experiences — the Galwan Valley clash is an example — have made it suspicious of China’s actions. Continuous dialogue can help bridge this trust deficit.
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
Sir — While India and China signing a deal to ensure peace at the border is encouraging, the agreement needs constant monitoring. The Modi-Xi meeting has given political legitimacy to the deal. The onus is on both sides to honour the pact.
M. Jeyaram, Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
Keep in mind
Sir — The agitation by junior doctors in West Bengal, demanding justice for the rape and murder victim at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital and the cleaning up of the healthcare infrastructure in the state, has been going on for over two months. The government may have browbeaten the doctors to withdraw their hunger strike, but given the wholehearted support of civil society, the movement is likely to continue for a long time. More so since the State is not expected to acquiesce to the doctors’ demands easily. Newspapers should thus continue to cover the developments in this regard instead of forgetting the matter altogether.
Arunava Sen Gupta, Calcutta