Grave signs
Sir — Aliens taking over the Earth has always been the stuff of science fiction. A more real possibility is of octopuses taking over the world. A zoologist at the University of Oxford has claimed that the species possesses extremely high intelligence and adaptability and could eventually replace the human civilisation if it were ever to vanish. Even if theories of a post-human world — some believe Artificial Intelligence would eventually take over — sound far-fetched, the fact that they are on the rise shows that humanity’s days on Earth might be numbered unless grave challenges such as climate change are tackled.
Mansi Gupta,
Calcutta
War crimes
Sir — Over 50,000 Palestinians, mainly women, children and the old and the infirm, have been killed in Gaza since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. There can be no doubt that this is a disproportionate revenge against an impoverished and war-weary population. Israel has abandoned normal codes of warfare to justify targeting hospitals and relief camps, claiming that Hamas is using them as hiding places. It is becoming increasingly clear that Benjamin Netanyahu is keeping the conflict alive to divert attention from the many charges of corruption against him so that he can remain in power. Strict sanctions must be imposed on Israel for its genocide of Palestinians.
S. Kamat,
Mysuru
Sir — Close to two million people are starving in the Gaza Strip due to Israel’s deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid, including food. Why are powerful nations around the world not stepping in to stop this mindless killing of civilians?
Kirti Wadhawan,
Kanpur
Sir — Israel’s former prime minister, Ehud Olmert, has said that what Israel is doing in Gaza now is close to a war crime, leading to the deaths of thousands of innocent Palestinians as well as many Israeli soldiers. Due to appeals made by countries like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France and Canada, Benjamin Netanyahu has finally allowed the entry of 10 trucks a day for humanitarian aid.
On Monday, Britain, France and Canada demanded that Israel stop this “totally disproportionate” and one-sided massacre. Britain has also suspended free trade talks with Israel. Their appeal was the strongest condemnation yet from some of Israel’s most powerful supporters since the war began.
Jang Bahadur Singh,
Jamshedpur
Sir — Since Israeli military operations commenced in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, Benjamin Netanyahu was given a long rope by most countries, particularly the US, the UK and the European Union, which made excuses for Israel. Due to this support, the United Nations was unable to take severe action against Israel. It is high time to impose sanctions on Israel. Netanyahu should also be tried for genocide in the International Court of Justice.
Tharcius S. Fernando,
Chennai
Safety concern
Sir — The recent spate of fire accidents in India, such as the one in Hyderabad that killed 17 people, and the one in Solapur where eight members of a family lost their lives, have once again brought to the fore how fire safety has been taken for granted in the country. Concerted measures aimed at ensuring that fire-safety norms are being followed are the need of the hour.
M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
Dangerous place
Sir — It is horrifying that a patient was bitten by rats in a government hospital in Bihar. This incident raises questions about the safety of patients. The sanitation system in
hospitals needs to be improved.
Mohammad Asad,
Mumbai