Real threat
Sir — The reality of climate change is becoming impossible to deny. Yet, many governments refuse to recognise the gravity of the threat. Hearteningly, the United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution declaring that access to a clean environment is a universal human right. But is this enough to prod member states into framing rights-based policies to mitigate the impacts of climate change? A recent study showed that of all the questions raised in the Indian Parliament in the last 20 years, only 0.3 per cent were related to climate change. In stark contrast to this are reports which underline India’s vulnerability to extreme weather events and rising temperatures. It is time parliamentarians set aside narrow political differences and focused on real threats.
Shruti Pandey, Jabalpur
Timely turn
Sir — The chief minister of Bihar and leader of the Janata Dal (United), Nitish Kumar, quit the National Democratic Alliance, yet again, on Tuesday. However, he immediately declared an alliance with his former coalition partner, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and took oath as the chief minister for the eighth time yesterday (“Nitish dumps Modi, hugs RJD-plus”, Aug 10). Kumar’s action seems to have been spurred by the events in Maharashtra where the Bharatiya Janata Party allegedly engineered mass defections to unseat the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. His apprehensions may be justified. The saffron party is known to go to any extent to retain power even if it comes at great cost to its own allies.
D.V.G. Sankararao, Nellimarla, Andhra Pradesh
Sir — Nitish Kumar has earned the moniker, ‘Paltu Ram’, because of frequently switching sides in order to hold on to power. Kumar parted ways with the NDA, seemingly in an effort to pre-empt rifts within his own party. This is not the first time he has split from a ruling alliance (“Adieu, again”, Aug 10). His fickleness raises questions about Kumar’s ideological fidelity. But snapping ties with the BJP ahead of the 2024 general elections also gives Kumar a chance to nurse his prime ministerial ambition.
G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
Sir — Unlike the former chief minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray, who was too late to respond to the simmering tensions within his own party, Nitish Kumar seems to have acted at the right moment. It is important to note that, once again, Kumar’s alliance partner, the RJD, has more seats in the assembly than the JD(U). Only time will tell how the equation between the two major parties in the new coalition pans out.
R. Narayanan, Navi Mumbai
At risk
Sir — It is unfortunate that Muslim citizens of Albuquerque in the United States of America have been living in fear after targeted attacks on their community (“US killings leave Muslims in fear”, Aug 9). Four Muslim men were recently killed in the city — three of them in the past two weeks. The city’s 5,000 or so Muslim residents are expectedly worried. The manner in which the victims were murdered suggests that these were hate crimes. Incidents of hate crimes against racial, ethnic and religious minorities have surged in recent years; such crimes rose by more than 20 per cent in 2021. In spite of repeated assurances from the authorities, minorities continue to be vulnerable in the US.
Raghunath Pramanik, Howrah
In danger
Sir — Madhya Pradesh is home to six prominent tiger reserves and is known as the ‘tiger state’ of India. However, about 26 tigers have died in the state since 2020. Most of these deaths have taken place outside the protected areas, suggesting that tigers had strayed into the buffer zones owing to deforestation and the resultant loss of habitat. Each tiger needs at least 25 square kilometres of space to mark its territory. In spite of grants from the Central government and initiatives like smart patrolling, big cats remain vulnerable in Madhya Pradesh.
Divyansha Sharma, Ujjain
Violated rights
Sir — A former teacher of St Xavier’s University in Calcutta has alleged that she was asked to resign from her post last year owing to a photograph on Instagram in which she was seen wearing a swimsuit (“‘Forced to quit’ for Insta post”, Aug 9). This is shocking; such moral policing must be condemned. The manner in which the complainant’s photographs were reportedly sourced and used to pressurise her violates her right to privacy.
Indrajit Sen, Calcutta
Wide gap
Sir — A recent assessment of learning loss by the Smile India Foundation shows that more than 50 per cent of students have fallen behind their age-appropriate learning levels and are finding it difficult to sustain interest in classes over long periods. Teachers have also pointed out that besides losing interest, students are also not socialising with their peers. It will take some time for students to get back to pre-pandemic levels of learning. However, the one good thing that Covid-19 has done is to unite teachers and parents, who have come together to help students overcome the challenges before them.
Iftekhar Ahmed, Calcutta
Riches on display
Sir — It was heartening to learn that the Calcutta Municipal Corporation has decided to clean up the facades of heritage buildings (“Mission: heritage clean-up”Aug 10). The city’s rich architectural heritage will finally be on display. But alongside hoardings and billboards, the CMC should also remove the electric cables that hang in front of most buildings. The civic body should come up with a way of passing these cables under the ground. A coat of paint and repair work wherever required would make heritage edifices almost free of all blemishes.
Alok Ganguly, Nadia
