Part of the family
Sir — Australia’s Family Law Amendment Act rightly recognises that pets are sentient beings with needs and attachments. For too long, courts have treated beloved animals as property to be divided, ignoring their inner lives and emotional bonds. The new law considers factors such as primary caregiving and the pet’s best interests. This shift challenges the anthropocentric bias of legal systems and acknowledges that pet animals often function as family members. In doing so, it aligns legal reasoning more closely with lived reality. Other nations would do well to follow Australia’s compassionate and rational example.
Romana Ahmed,
Calcutta
Sign of resilience
Sir — The Udhampur-Baramulla rail link is more than infrastructure; it is a lifeline (“Kashmir is now rail-connected”, June 7). That trains will now reach Srinagar even in deep winter signals a new era of connection. Goods, services, and people will flow faster, cheaper, and more reliably. Development will follow steel rails and, with it, opportunities for long-marginalised communities. India has long spoken of integrating Kashmir. This time, it may finally happen — on tracks forged through Himalayan stone and sleepless effort.
Hemachandra Basappa,
Bengaluru
Sir — The Chenab railway bridge stands as a testament to human resilience. From cliffs and mules to gleaming girders, the journey of the engineers who built it has been awe-inspiring (“For 17 years, she moved moutains”, June 6). That they could tame Himalayan cliffs speaks volumes about India’s quiet strength in engineering. The country owes its gratitude to those who gave years of their lives to make this vision a reality.
Sofikul Islam,
Calcutta
Sir — The Chenab rail bridge engineers worked under near-mythic conditions: suspended mid-air, in wind and rain, tethered to girders. Stories of carrying food in suits and using mobile toilets on the platform are humbling. This was not comfort-zone engineering; it was courage. Far from headlines, these men and women created something truly world-class, staying away from their families for over a decade. May their story remind the nation where true greatness quietly resides.
Sujit De,
Calcutta
Sir — The Himalayas are young and restless, and cutting through them is an act of patience, not aggression. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramula Rail Link team understood this. They read rock like scripture, waited for the temperature to settle steel, and worked with locals who knew the land by foot, rope, and fire. Unlike other megaprojects, this one did not defy nature — it collaborated with it. That may explain why, despite all odds, it now stands tall, solid, and splendid.
Umar Siddiqui,
Calcutta
Sir — The use of army helicopters, self-climbing cranes, and computer numerical control machines hints at the technological daring behind the Chenab bridge. Yet it was not automation alone that made it happen. It was human improvisation. Site-specific innovation, risk taken on open platforms, and recalculations in millimetres all remind us that even in a world of machines, great engineering remains a human craft. The bridge is modern India’s pyramid.
Fateh Najamuddin,
Lucknow
Sir — The story of the Chenab bridge’s local workforce deserves attention. That villagers rappelled down cliffs, carried the sick on their backs, and later feared job loss shows how integral they became. Infrastructure projects must recognise such communities not just as labourers, but as partners in nation-building. Redeploying them across railways is a step in the right direction. Their acquired skills are not residual; they are, in fact, the future foundation of many such feats.
Rohan Mahajan,
Udhampur
Sir — The sheer scale and audacity of the USBRL project deserve nationwide recognition. Working in seismic zones, battling landslides, and crafting new tunnel paths amid monsoon havoc was not just engineering — it was a miracle. Yet through it all, camaraderie, dedication, and local resilience shone through. That such railways now connect Kashmir to the rest of India is not merely symbolic; it is transformational. It promises economic uplift and emotional integration in equal measure.
Nadeem Aasim,
Mumbai
Literary pioneer
Sir — Edmund White’s passing marks the loss of a literary pioneer who gave voice to queer lives when silence was the norm. His writing, visceral and brave, emerged at a time when homosexuality was illegal and queer authors were marginalised. From Forgetting Elena to A Boy’s Own Story, White transformed personal anguish into enduring art. Through The Violet Quill he helped foster a community amid crisis, creating solidarity where there was once isolation. In charting one man’s journey from shame to authorship, White illuminated the path for others. His legacy lies not only in his books, but in the freedom they gave generations of queer readers.
Y.S.K. Reddy,
Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh