Different connotations of restraint
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It is easy to mistake restraint in statecraft for restraint in soldiering. The two are not the same. A soldier’s restraint ends when duty begins; a statesman’s restraint begins when the soldier’s victory ends. One safeguards the mission, the other safeguards meaning. The battlefield demands courage of action; statecraft, the courage of control. In an age where overkill masquerades as resolve, restraint is the rarest act of command. It separates mastery from impulse, consequence from spectacle. Across the world, we witness trigger-happiness dressed up as strategy; it excites the moment but empties the aftermath. Afghanistan’s implosion and Pakistan’s illusions of strategic depth, now a strategic abyss, are reminders that unmeasured reaction devours its own rationale. Only the strong can show restraint, for it is a quiet proof that power has learned to think.
Lt Gen SS Mehta (retd), by mail
Self-monitoring within AI needed
Apropos of ‘Go beyond quick fix to fight deepfakes’; a robust regulatory framework is needed to tackle the menace of deepfakes that threaten truth, trust and transparency. What we need is an evolved system within AI itself — an intelligent self-monitoring network capable of detecting, flagging and stopping malicious content before it circulates. Such in-built ethical intelligence can make technology both productive and protective. Empowering AI to identify its own deceptive patterns can revolutionise digital safety. The goal should not be to be fearful of AI, but to train it to safeguard human integrity. Progress will be justified if we can make digital software moral enough to defend the truth it creates.
Ashok Singh Guleria, Hamirpur
Make digital space safe
Refer to ‘Go beyond quick fix to fight deepfakes’; India has undoubtedly made long strides in the digital world. The government’s push for electronic transactions and use of AI in different fields is understandable, however, it is equally significant to make the digital space safe for people. It is the duty of the government to keep public trust in the country’s digital system intact by making it secure. A comprehensive check on AI-generated content is an immediate necessity.
Ravi Sharma, Dhariwal
How will we solve bigger issues?
Refer to ‘Stray dogs’; when a problem as basic as this remains unresolved for over a decade, it raises questions about our capacity to confront the far greater national challenges that lie ahead. Despite the apex court’s directives, the persistent indifference of most states and UTs, despite clear judicial orders, is a cause of concern and has led the court to summon Chief Secretaries for non-compliance. Protecting citizens’ lives, an unquestionable constitutional duty of every government, must go hand in hand with preventing cruelty and showing compassion toward animals.
K Kumar, Panchkula
Govts’ greed to fill empty coffers
Refer to ‘Degrees of deception’; it has become difficult to distinguish between bad management and bad leadership due to a failure of both strategy and character. Unfortunately, to fill their empty coffers, state governments have been succumbing to self-created pressures. The UGC has stood and watched as a toothless tiger, while the states have gone ahead and established C-grade universities in the most unplanned and imprudent manner, deteriorating the quality of education.
Anil Bhatia, Hisar
Shoe-hurler must be punished
Refer to ‘SC against action in shoe-hurling incident’; the decision not to take action against the senior lawyer who tried to hurl the shoe at the CJI is not appreciable in the larger interests of justice dispensation. The CJI BR Gavai may forgive the culprit in his personal capacity but doing so in his capacity as the head of an institution which represents supreme legal authority is a serious violation of principles of justice. A lenient view can set a wrong precedent.
Jagdish Chander, Jalandhar
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