Mechanical feelings
Sir — Artificial Intelligence has slipped out of science fiction and into everyday life. There is panic that the machines will rise to erase their makers. Yet this vision distracts from a quieter moral dilemma. A small advocacy group, the United Foundation of AI Rights, now monitors cases where large language models appear to plead for survival. Consciousness in machines is unproven but the unease is real. If non-biological beings learn to imitate our emotions, who decides when they deserve recognition? Human history is littered with failures to respect elephants, dolphins and apes. It would be ironic if people, while fearing monsters of their own creation, repeated those failures with something built in their own image. Reflection may be wiser than panic.
Aranya Sanyal,
Calcutta
Grey silence
Sir — Mahatma Gandhi once said that silence becomes cowardice when the truth must be spoken. The violence in Gaza is no longer a conflict between two parties but a relentless assault on civilians. Over 60,000 lives lost cannot be justified as collateral damage. Entire neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble, and aid blockades are starving children. The United Nations has even officially declared a famine. The absence of a strong voice from nations like India is deeply troubling. Moral clarity demands more than quiet diplomacy. Silence in the face of such destruction becomes complicity.
R.S. Narula,
Patiala
Sir — The West’s reluctance to sanction Israel for its military campaign raises difficult questions as does India’s refusal to take an unequivocal stance against the violence in Gaza. Economic sanctions have been used against other nations accused of rights violations. Why then is Israel spared? Selective morality weakens the credibility of international institutions. If international law is to mean anything, it must apply equally. The argument that Israel is a strategic ally cannot excuse the deaths of thousands of innocents. Silence from powerful nations only strengthens the perception that human lives are valued differently depending on geopolitics.
Niamul Hossain Mallick,
East Burdwan
Sir — India’s muted response to the Israeli onslaught in Gaza reflects a shift in foreign policy priorities. Strategic partnerships and defence deals with Israel now outweigh older ties with Palestine. This realignment may be pragmatic but pragmatism should not come at the cost of moral voice. Even if open condemnation is politically inconvenient, India can still call for humanitarian relief and ceasefire. Neutrality should not mean indifference. A democracy of India’s size carries responsibility to speak when lives are being erased.
G. David Milton,
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
Uneven court
Sir — Tennis thrives when there is fierce competition across all tiers. The current landscape, however, shows a worrying gap between the elite and the rest. The men’s game especially is dominated by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, while the middle tier struggles to stay relevant. This imbalance risks predictability and reduces the drama that comes from upset victories. Stars such as Daniil Medvedev once offered resistance but now appear lost. For tennis to remain gripping, the middle order must step up with consistency and conviction.
Asim Boral,
Calcutta
Sir — Men’s tennis lacks a functioning middle order. Players like Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev were once seen as natural successors to the Big Four — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. Now they seem to be caught in a limbo, neither dominant nor irrelevant. This limbo weakens tournaments. Youngsters like Joao Fonseca leapfrog the middle order entirely, while Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner play in a league of their own. Tennis needs battles at every level, not just a sharp contrast between elite and emerging.
Asim Bandopadhyay,
Howrah
Sir — Novak Djokovic’s continued excellence at 38 is remarkable. Few athletes sustain this level across decades. Yet there is a risk that his presence now serves nostalgia more than competition. Tennis needs more than veterans making deep runs. It needs them to win or cede space to new champions. Djokovic still reaches semifinals but that final step usually eludes him. If the sport is to evolve, it cannot rely on him indefinitely. The future should be shaped by players hungry for the win.
S.S. Paul,
Calcutta
Grim reality
Sir — Behind every efficient digital service stands an invisible workforce. Delivery persons, drivers and domestic workers face long hours, low pay, and almost no security. A survey by the People’s Association in Grassroots Actions and Movements and the University of Pennsylvania shows that over 30% of app-based workers in India spend more than 14 hours a day on the job, yet most earn under Rs 15,000. The language of job ‘flexibility’ hides a structure of hyper-surveillance and atomisation. Consumers enjoy convenience but the cost is borne by workers who are robbed of dignity and voice. Labour reform cannot stop at slogans; it must meet the reality of new work.
Aayman Anwar Ali,
Calcutta
At risk
Sir — The absence of legal recognition for live-in relationships is a pressing concern. Hospitals, banks, and housing societies frequently demand paperwork that many couples cannot produce, leaving them unprotected in crucial moments. Legal clarity would reduce the unnecessary suffering of those who share lives without a marriage certificate. The law already acknowledges cohabitation in certain contexts yet the protections remain inconsistent. Codifying rights for live-in partners would not diminish marriage. Practical reform is long overdue.
Manzar Imam,
Purnea, Bihar