Swift wings
Sir — From dial-up modems to optical fibre and now 5G, upgradation has been synonymous with wireless communication. The race for the highest internet speed is never-ending. Recently, China became the fastest internet provider globally — its speed of 1.2 terabits per second is 10 times faster than the fastest internet connection in the United States of America. This is unsurprising given that large swathes of rural America have been complaining about spotty internet. So much so that pigeons, which clock an average of 40 miles per hour, are considered to be faster than the speed of the internet in these regions. Instead of upgrading, the US should perhaps consider degrading its communication technology to institute the ancient system of pigeon posts.
Aratrika Chowdhury, Delhi
War despatches
Sir — It has been over two months since Israel began an intense and ruthless retaliation against Hamas in Gaza after terrorist attacks shook Tel Aviv to its core on October 7. A recent video shows over 100 Palestinian detainees stripped to their underwear, blindfolded and made to kneel by the Israeli Defence Forces on a street in northern Gaza. This is deplorable. It seems that Israel cannot stoop any lower in its mad rush for revenge.
Further, Mark Revel, the senior advisor to the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, justified the stripping of the captives and said that “it is not the end of the world” given the warm weather conditions of West Asia. Such comments are grossly insensitive and do not befit a government functionary.
Annes Rahman N.T., Malappuram
Sir — The United States of America recently vetoed a United Nations resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, dismaying the international community, which had hoped that Washington would thwart Israel from continuing with its ground invasion of Gaza (“US vetoes truce resolution at UN”, Dec 10). This belies the US’s claim to be the conscience-keeper of the world.
On the contrary, it betrayed America’s underlying motive of war-profiteering. The US is the biggest arms dealer in the world and the sale of firearms and ammunition drives a major part of the American economy. The world must now turn towards other mediators for the Israel-Palestine conflict, such as Qatar or Iran.
Manoharan Muthuswamy, Chennai
Strategic moves
Sir —Two recent changes in the Bahujan Samaj Party have catapulted the political outfit to the limelight. First, Danish Ali, a Lok Sabha member, was suspended for anti-party activities (“BSP axes Danish”, Dec 10). Second, the party president, Mayawati, declared her nephew, Akash Anand, to be her political successor (“Mayawati names nephew as successor”, Dec 11). The BSP, a Dalit-centric party, which used to be a force to reckon with in Uttar Pradesh politics, has been reduced to a marginal player in recent years.
The suspension of Ali, on whom the Bharatiya Janata Party member, Ramesh Bidhuri, heaped communal slurs on the floor of the Lok Sabha, seems to be Mayawati’s attempt to appease the saffron party. This belies the BSP leader’s standing that she would fight the general elections alone. It will thus not be surprising to see the BSP adopting a strategy that would electorally benefit the BJP. Such subservience will cost the BSP its distinct identity.
G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
Sir — The suspension of Danish Ali from the BSP has wider implications. Ali had been a vocal critic of the alleged nexus between the Adani Group and the Narendra Modi-led Central government whereas his party chief, Mayawati, has refrained from commenting on the issue. Mayawati has been accused of amassing huge unaccounted wealth in the past. Her silence, therefore, is part of a strategy to avoid drawing the Centre’s attention to the previous corruption charges against her.
Subhash Das, Calcutta
Old malady
Sir — The editorial, “Love’s labours” ( Dec 10), brilliantly ascribes the reason behind a group of men in Karnataka praying for brides at a temple to the skewed sex ratio in the district — a result of rampant female foeticide. The practice of killing female children after birth has been prevailing in India long after it was declared illegal because of society’s blind preference for a male child.
It defies reason that such a regressive mindset is still prevalent in India, which boasts of progress and development. The government should frame policies to remove the stigma against female children and ensure more empowerment-centred initiatives for women.
Sukhendu Bhattacharjee, Hooghly
Vital role
Sir — In the article, “Marginal figure” (Dec 10), Anup Sinha reminisced about his student years when the relationship between teachers and students was interactive and involved more than just learning the contents of the syllabus. In the past, teachers used to encourage students to think outside the box and students, in turn, revered them deeply and remembered their gurus long after they had graduated from their educational institutions.
Such interactions gradually reduced with the introduction of electronic gadgets in education. Unlike gadgets, a good teacher can inspire students to excel in life.
Sanjit Ghatak, South 24 Parganas
Sir — Technology has engulfed every sphere of our lives after the coronavirus pandemic. The increasing digitisation of classrooms has chipped away at student-teacher interactions. Teachers of yore used to prod students to ask questions and clear doubts — a practice rarely seen in online classrooms. The decline in physical classrooms also hampers bonding among students.
Alok Ganguly, Kalyani
