Risky business

Sir — Kung Fu Panda might not have been inspired by an actual panda trained in martial arts but British intelligence has recently found out that Russia is training dolphins in combat — they have previously been used as spies by both Russia and America. Russia had also been accused of training beluga whales to carry out surveillance in Scandinavian waters. The obvious exploitation of these animals aside, what will happen to these combat-trained dolphins once Russia does not need them anymore? If they then use their training to attack people, will dolphins all around the world have to shoulder the blame for something instigated by humans? After all, thousands of sharks are slaughtered across the world just because they are portrayed as dangerous.

Tanaya Sen,Murshidabad

Partial success

Sir — It is heartening that Egypt has accorded its highest civilian award to the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, as a sign of goodwill between the two countries (“Pact to elevate India-Egypt relationship”, June 26). The strategic relationship between India and Egypt has become more significant given the current geopolitical situation. Bilateral ties with Egypt may also help India expand its trade with other African countries.

D.V.G. Sankararao,Andhra Pradesh

Sir — Narendra Modi being awarded the Order of the Nile in Egypt cannot eclipse the allegations that have been levelled against him during this round of foreign tours. The fact that he chose to travel abroad while parts of India are in strife is indictment enough. One hopes this international criticism will make the prime minister introspect on the religious tensions in India that have been stoked by his party.

Zakir Hussain,Kazipet, Telangana

Lost faith

Sir —The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum, which has been demanding the imposition of president’s rule in Manipur, has thwarted the Bharatiya Janata Party’s efforts at peacemaking by refusing any dialogue with the chief minister, N. Biren Singh. The ITLF spokesperson, Ginza Vualzong, has claimed that both the Kuki and Meitei communities have lost faith in Singh’s leadership.

Bhagwan Thadani,Mumbai

Defensive stance

Sir — It is not surprising that the Union finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, has defended the prime minister, Narendra Modi, after the former president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, spoke of religious discrimination in India (“Yes, you did rile ’em, Barack”, June 26). Modi, however, has chosen to remain silent about this criticism. Sitharaman’s responses reveal how close to home Obama’s comments have hit. Moreover, it is worrying that India’s international relations are now getting tainted owing to the saffron party’s communal politics.

P.K. Sharma,Barnala, Punjab

Fragile unity

Sir — The continuing tussle between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party threatens Opposition unity. The two parties should iron out their differences in order to present a united front and devise effective poll strategies against the Bharatiya Janata Party (“Cong smells AAP ‘sabotage’ bid”, June 26). However, several meetings would be required among the Opposition parties before a common agenda can emerge.

Gregory Fernandes,Mumbai

Sir — It is unlikely that the meeting of the Opposition parties in Patna will yield a concrete alliance against the BJP in the upcoming general election. The Congress, which has a larger voter base, will always be targeted by regional parties that focus on provincial triumphs. Moreover, while several parties may have been able to join hands in national interest, personal ambition seems to have prevented others from doing so.

Tanuj Pramanick,Howrah

Truce, at last

Sir — It is heartening that the West Bengal state election commissioner, Rajiva Sinha, and the governor, C.V. Ananda Bose, met cordially to discuss the deployment of Central forces and other issues pertaining to the panchayat elections (“Sinha briefs Bose on poll security plan”, June 26). One hopes the panchayat polls can now be held as per the schedule.

D. Bhattacharyya,Calcutta

Worthy tribute

Sir — The National Portrait Gallery in London was reopened after three years (“Lesson from Britain: you can’t wish away Nehru”, June 26). The gallery boasts of a bust of our first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, for his contributions towards the advancement of India. While the ruling party in India is continuously trying to undermine Nehru’s legacy, Britain, the country which Nehru fought against, seems to be commemorating the leader.

Aayman Anwar Ali,Calcutta

Plundered wealth

Sir — It is admirable that the councillor of Ward 93, Mousumi Das, has takenaction against the illegal pruning of three debdaru trees in Jadavpur (“Branches of 3 trees hacked ‘illegally’”, June 26). In spite of the money spent on planting trees and the awareness raised through campaigns, thousands of trees are felled to facilitate housing and industrial development across the country. This indiscriminate felling of trees aggravates the impacts of climate change and must be checked at once.

Babulal Das,North 24 Parganas

Correction

The editorial, “Home fires” (June 27), inadvertently implied that Barack Obama, the former president of the United States of America, is a Muslim. We apologise for this error.