Bold approach
Sir — Most people would find it embarrassing to return to their former workplace. Apprehensions about the reception one would get upon returning and the unresolved disputes, if any, with former employers or colleagues often dissuade a job seeker from re-applying for an old job. But an employee from Ghana has not let such trepidations sway him. In his resignation letter, the said person not only explained his decision to leave his current job but also candidly mentioned the possibility of returning if the new work did not suit him. While such forthrightness is refreshing, it is seldom appreciated in official communication. However, such a bold approach is perhaps necessary when it comes to making career decisions. After all, it is foolhardy to burn one’s bridges.
Aheli Sinha, Calcutta
Year of blood
Sir — The articles, “Year of changes” (Oct 10) by Swapan Dasgupta and “Middle East muddle” (Oct 10) by Harsh V. Pant, which took stock of the first anniversary of the Israel-Hamas conflict, ascribe Israel’s avenging of Hamas’s assault on October 7, 2023 as the raison d’être of Tel Aviv’s maniacal pursuit of war in the Middle East. Israel’s ongoing campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon is similar to its strategy against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Tel Aviv has justified its sustained attacks on residential buildings, schools and hospitals in Gaza and Lebanon based on the assumption that the terror groups are using the civilian population as a human shield. Israel’s conduct of war, without any compunction for collateral damage, is unforgiveable.
S. Kamat, Mysuru
Sir — In his column, “Year of changes”, Swapan Dasgupta alludes to Israel’s “endeavours” against Hamas and Hezbollah as the victory of good over evil. Dasgupta seems to be justifying the genocide being carried out by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon.
Hamas’s attack on southern Israel last year cannot be pardoned. But Israel’s retaliation is nothing short of an organised genocide. Tel Aviv’s ongoing campaign in Gaza and Lebanon is very similar to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States of America. The killing of civilians in the name of responding to a terror attack is inexcusable.
Yousuf Iqbal, Calcutta
Sir — Israel had declared António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, persona non grata after accusing him of supporting Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran. Now Tel Aviv has opened fire on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon after warning them to move out of the combat areas (“Unacceptable”, Oct 16). This means that Israel does not have qualms about flouting international rules with impunity.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon was established to patrol the country’s southern frontier after Israel’s invasion in 1978. At least five UNIFIL soldiers were injured and hundreds of UN staffers killed by Israel in the past year. The global superpowers must intervene before it’s too late.
Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur
Safety last
Sir — The increased train accidents in recent years have raised concerns about the efficiency of the Indian railways (“Tragic tracks”, Oct 14). Approximately 23 million passengers rely on the rail network daily. Poor maintenance of railway tracks and infrastructure, signalling failures, human error and a huge number of vacant posts in the safety category are some of the reasons behind the high casualties.
The recommendations made by the Kakodkar Committee and the Vinod Rai Committee, such as the nationwide adoption of advanced railway technologies like Kavach, proper utilisation of the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh and the creation of a statutory railway safety authority, must be implemented at once.
Prasun Kumar Dutta, West Midnapore
Sir — Instead of investing in super-fast trains, the Indian railways should prioritise passenger safety in order to achieve balanced progress. The inclusion of railway expenditure in the Union budget from 2017 onwards has undermined the issue of passenger safety. The government should consider reverting to the old system of independent budget for the railways. There have been reports of railway pilots being made to work overtime, leading to errors. Such concerns should be addressed.
Gopalaswamy J., Chennai
Sir — In 1956, Lal Bahadur Shastri, the then railways minister, took moral responsibility for the Ariyalur train accident and resigned. Such accountability is a rarity in present-day India where train accidents are on the rise. The installation of the train collision avoidance system, Kavach, has also been tardy. The glacial pace of filling up vacancies in the railways and existing personnel being made to do extra shifts are other instances of the degradation of the railways.
Sujit De, Calcutta
Systemic injustice
Sir — G.N. Saibaba, a paraplegic former professor, passed away seven months after he was acquitted of terror charges that forced him to spend a decade behind bars (“Stan parallel in Saibaba death after 10-year jail”, Oct 14). On one hand, the principle of ‘bail is the rule, jail the exception’ is routinely underlined by the judiciary. On the other, rights activists have to undergo incarceration without any substantial proof of the charges against them. This is a travesty of justice.
Kajal Chatterjee, Calcutta
Sir — Despite the Constitution guaranteeing the freedom of speech, archaic laws like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act are used by the government to suppress dissent. This is detrimental to the polity.
R. Narayanan, Navi Mumbai
