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5

Recalibrate, reinvent

It has become increasingly evident that India-China camaraderie will remain a chimera so long as the festering wound of border dispute is not healed (‘Beijing’s blame game’, July 5). To deal with the rising supremacist tendencies of China, India needs to recalibrate, and even reinvent its diplomatic tool box in a big way.

 

It is easier said than done to boycott China economically, as that could end up as a self-goal. But to make ‘local’ more ‘vocal’ is not only a sensible option, but also an unavoidable one in today’s circumstances.

 

Raveendranath A.,

On email.

 

With well-developed roads and other infrastructure along the mountainous terrain of the LAC, China enjoyed an advantage vis a vis India. But, today, New Delhi is catching up with Beijing, by speeding up road projects in the border areas.

 

China has been nibbling at Indian territories for long now, but the incursions, this time, are deeper and more intimidating. India’s increasingly antagonistic stand towards China could have spun the situation on the LAC out of control.

 

As a permanent resolution looks a remote possibility right now, more bloody skirmishes like the one in Galwan Valley cannot be ruled out in the near future. War may loom in the background, but the battle is well and truly on.

 

Vijai Pant,

On email.

 

In the case of Kargil, the conflict was with a known enemy, but in the Galwan Valley the ground situation is altogether different. Here, China didn’t comply with the agreement.

 

Declaring spontaneous action is best left to strategists and tacticians.

 

S.K. Rajput,

On email.

 

Once bitten, twice shy is the saying. But, I suppose, it does not apply to Indians. We have been betrayed and back-stabbed several times, but we have not learnt anything. The Chinese, from ancient times, were looked upon suspiciously, but we trusted them on many occasions only to repent later. We consider Pakistan as an enemy nation but why not even China? Maybe it was wrong to call the Chinese our friends in the first place. Look how Japan deals with China. We should be like that. It is high time we came out of our illusions.

 

K. Aravinda Upadhyaya,

On email.

 

Why such a photograph?

I have my reservations against the photograph you have published (‘The big picture’, July 5). It was gory and very unsettling to see in a national newsweekly.

 

During any pandemic, many couples seek the help of midwives. I fail to understand the urge to publish such a photograph.

 

Vismay Mathur,

On email.

 

Need effective mechanism

I would like to congratulate K. Sunil Thomas for his thought-provoking article on states attempting never-tried-before economic measures to stay afloat during the pandemic (‘Precarious States’, July 5).

 

It not only provides the first-hand account of the worries of our fund-starving states but also brings us face-to-face with the economic calamity in the country.

 

The pandemic has multiplied our troubles but the government must overcome the effect of negative stimuli created by such a situation.

 

The current economic situation demands an imperative introspection and an effective mechanism to bring back the economy on the track within the parameters of the democratic structure.

 

D.K. Mishra,

On email.

This is the future

Video-calling is a lifeline for prisoners and it has to be encouraged (‘Prison un-break’, July 5). Digitalisations of visits to jails should have happened long ago. When a prisoner video-calls his family, he will be able to see all his family members. There are bound to be more restrictions in jails in the coming years, for safety reasons, and video-calling is here to stay.

 

Tapesh Nagpal,

On email.

 

Apples in Karnataka

It is common knowledge that a few owners of estates in Kodagu, Chikmagalur and South Canara have successfully been growing apples for many years (‘Apples in the Deccan’, July 5). These fruits are also being grown in a limited way near Bengaluru.

 

It has been reported that the apple trees in Kodagu have been bearing fruits throughout the year, unlike in Himachal Pradesh. The horticulture department would do well to encourage farmers to go for rearing apple trees in a big way and make apples affordable to the poor.

 

Jothindra P.L.,

Mysuru, Karnataka.

 

Let’s limit it

A disease like Covid-19 will have a major influence on architecture (‘Space gaze’, July 5). Office spaces are going to shrink in size in the days to come.

 

Many offices in India are jam-packed, which is not how they should be. Also, temples, churches and mosques should be built in a manner that it can accommodate many at a time without getting crowded.

 

Vrinda Gopi,

On email.

 

Watch them now

The list of claustrophobic movies that you brought out was very interesting (‘Boxed in’, July 5). These are the kind of films that one should be watching during a lockdown, and is surely going to freak out everyone.

 

I hope there are fewer such incidents in real life.

Tigin Thomas,

On email.

 

Churchill connection

The Last Word (July 5) was a reminder that the legendary Winston Churchill was once a war correspondent. And, that, apparently, the concept of psyops was in vogue in Britain from Churchill’s time.

 

P.M. Gopalan,

On email.