Privacy breach

Cricketer Virat Kohli’s privacy breach should be a matter of grave concern, not just for the man himself but the entire nation (‘Invasion of Kohli’s privacy). The uploading of his empty hotel room was a serious breach of privacy. Given the state of terror threats we face, this matter should not be taken lightly. It also shows how easily terror groups can gain access to the details of their targets. The possibility of a hotel employee being involved is high. Hotels must screen their employees more thoroughly to establish their suitability. While the hosts of the World Cup may have apologised, they too should be held accountable for the lapse which could lead to a security nightmare.

ANTHONY HENRIQUES, MUMBAI

Why no punishment?

It is unfortunate that a bridge collapse in Gujarat has taken many lives. Incidents of such nature keep taking place in the country but nothing has been done to prevent them. Only one thing happens immediately after such incidents. The government orders an inquiry which dies its own death without any indictment or preventive measure. The companies constructing such bridges, the engineers responsible for the project, quality insurance departments. etc., never get any punishment. Nothing can prevent such serious incidents without exemplary indictment of lapses.

Wg Cdr Jasbir S Minhas (retd), Mohali

Yamuna conservation

Reference to ‘Prez: Water linked to national security’; it is reassuring that the importance of water conservation, scarcity and requirement was discussed at India Water Week. Water is our lifeline and should not be allowed to be wasted. The Yamuna should be tamed, like the Sutlej and Narmada rivers, to fully utilise its waters by way of construction of multi-purpose projects. A dam should come up on the river at Tajiwala near Paonta Sahib to store excess water — to be utilised by Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Ashok Kumar Goel, Panchkula

Talks only way out

Apropos of the article ‘Putin tones down bluster’; since the world seems terrified due to nuclear threats both from Russia and the US, it is time for all nations to take a lesson from the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 to avert nuclear escalation. The Ukraine war has dragged on for months and there is no immediate sign of a ceasefire. US President Biden and Russian President Putin need to look back and dive into the expertise of John F Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev to find a lasting solution. Ukraine’s growing inclination towards the West and its ambition of acquiring NATO membership could have been easily resolved through dialogue had Putin not declared war. The invasion elicited the intervention of the West, which was waiting for such an opportunity to make Russia weaker. Russia’s annexation of the four key regions of Ukraine has fulfilled much of its objectives in the interim. So, Putin’s nuclear threats make no sense now and it will only provoke the West to impose more sanctions. Immediate ceasefire, obeying the UN Charter and holding a dialogue are crucial.

Tushar Anand, Patna

A true mentor

Refer to ‘Celebrating sir, in life and death’; death is the eternal truth and reality of mundane life. Rare are the souls who understand this while they are alive and live accordingly. Prof Vepa Rao surely is one such noble soul who was totally committed towards his students and their future. He stood by them throughout his life. He was bold enough to exhort his students to celebrate his death. It brought to my mind legendary actor Dev Anand’s wise words: ‘If death comes, I would accept it.’ This is the right kind of attitude and it should be adopted to live life fully and purposefully.

RAVI SHARMA, by mail

Create value for stubble

The news reports ‘Kaithal farmers show the way to make profit from stubble mgmt’ and ‘88 cases of stubble burning’ seem to contradict each other. One cannot overlook the fact that economics does overtake environment concerns. It is valid for stubble, too. Farmers don’t want to invest in physically removing the stubble if there is no financial return. Therefore, they burn it. The Kaithal farmers have found a way to use stubble as a raw material that has economic value. The government should support their initiative and expand it throughout the country. Paddy stubble can also be used for producing manure, biogas and pellets by mixing with coal fines that can be used in boilers. Laws can’t stop this practice for political and socio-economic reasons. The solution lies in creating value for stubble and providing monetary incentives for its use in ways that will not harm the environment.

O PRASADA RAO, HYDERABAD

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