A life well lived
Sir — Mellow, a rescue dog from Pennsylvania, recently bid farewell to an entire town after his owner, Kevin Curry, requested the neighbours, most of whom were familiar with the terminally-ill dog, to come out and meet him on what might be his last walk. While this was a tear-jerking moment for animal lovers, it would have been impossible to achieve in India. The lack of sterilisation and vaccination drives here leaves dogs vulnerable to diseases and aggressive behaviour, leading to them being put down. Further, inadequate rescue and adoption amenities deprive many dogs of a happy life like the one Mellow led.
Keshav Pathak,Shillong
Ominous sign
Sir — Canada must not ignore the Khalistani procession that observed the 39th anniversary of Operation Bluestar with a float recreating the assassination of the former Indian prime minister, Indira Gandhi (“Warning to Canada and others on extremists”, June 9). Such violent displays will reopen the old wounds of the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. The Canadian government’s failure to address this problem does not bode well for Indo-Canadian relations.
Kirti Wadhawan,Kanpur
Sir — It is not enough for India to merely warn Canada to not give space to the Khalistani groups that celebrated the assassination of Indira Gandhi. The growing influence of this violent faction in Canada must be nipped in the bud.
Bal Govind,Noida
Tough test
Sir — The State Election Commission has announced that panchayat polls in West Bengal will be held in a single phase on July 8 (“Ominous portents greet rural poll schedule”, June 9). The previous panchayat elections witnessed massive violence, owing to which re-elections had to be held in 19 districts. Allegations of rigging and booth capturing in the 2018 polls had also affected the Trinamul Congress’s fortunes in the last Lok Sabha elections. Hopefully, the TMC will ensure a free and fair election this year.
Khokan Das,Calcutta
Sir — The panchayat elections in West Bengal will be a precursor to the 2024 general elections. This assumes greater significance as this is the first election in the state since the teacher recruitment scam was exposed and several leaders of the ruling party were arrested. The results of the panchayat polls will tell if people are bothered by corruption charges against the TMC. But the SEC has refused to discuss sensitive matters, such asthe time for filing nominations and the deployment of Central forces, with the parties before the panchayat elections. This is unfortunate.
Jayanta Datta,Hooghly
Looming fear
Sir — Anup Sinha has rightly pointed out the existential threats faced by humans in the article, “An uncertain future” (June 9). A large part of the threat is owing to our desire for material comfort. Materialism and the resultant increase inthe demand for fossil fuels and natural resources contribute significantly towards climate change. The uncertainty caused by this makes people more vulnerable to political and spiritual messiahs. However, this atmosphere of fear can be mitigated through global collaborations and by eradicating hatred for immigrants.
Sukhendu Bhattacharjee,Hooghly
Parting shot
Sir — Six flights were cancelled at the Chennai airport on June 8 owing to a shortage of passengers. Although the passengers were informed in advance and their tickets rescheduled, this is an instance of inefficiency on the part of the airlines concerned.
N. Mahadevan,Chennai
