Pasta panic

Sir — Americans appear to be mourning a national tragedy: the vanishing of Italian pasta from supermarket shelves. A 107% tariff on pasta from Italy has sent shockwaves through kitchens. The irony is hard to miss. Environmental collapse, democratic decline, and healthcare crises have not provoked the emotions that the loss of Italian spaghetti has. It is amusing to watch the same people who shrug at human rights violations take to social media over the absence of a specific brand of tagliatelle. One could almost applaud their passion, if only it extended beyond the dinner plate. What a pity that the appetite for social justice is never quite as strong as the appetite for fettuccine carbonara imported from Italy.

Barnali Saha,
Mumbai

Too many gaps

Sir — At least 13 people were killed and 20 others injured after a powerful explosion in a Hyundai i20 car near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening (“Red Fort blast kills 8”, Nov 11). The blast — it has now been declared a terror attack — occurred when the vehicle stopped at a signal. This act is cowardly and condemnable. But misplaced anger against Muslims and Kashmiris because of the alleged link to a doctor in Pulwama will lead to the bloodshed of civilians. Intelligence agencies should be prompt with their investigations to avoid such an outcome.

Jayanta Datta,
Hooghly

Sir — The prime minister and the Union home minister must be held responsible for the blast in Delhi. The primary concern is that Indians are not safe even in the country’s capital. People must raise their voices against those attempting to undermine the country’s security.

Bhagwan Thadani,
Mumbai

Sir — The explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort, a highly protected zone, has exposed, once again, how fragile the narrative of terror being eradicated from India is (“Calm splintered”, Nov 12). Yet, those in power evade accountability while citizens continue to pay the price. Every time tragedy strikes, we see statements of concern and promises of justice. But no lessons are learnt. The government that swore to protect people is protecting only its image. The real story — the intelligence failure and the loss of lives — disappears behind shouting anchors. This nation deserves facts and accountability. If those in power and those behind the cameras do not stand for the truth, who will?

Md. Imdadullah,
Muzaffarpur, Bihar

Sir — It is alarming that a high-security area could experience such a blast. The failure of the security agencies cannot be denied. The culprits must be immediately identified and brought to justice. The government should take urgent steps to ensure that such a tragedy does not recur.

Manas Mukhopadhyay,
Hooghly

Sir — The Delhi blast has shocked the country. It has exposed loopholes in policing and intelligence gathering. The police failed to apprehend the people behind the attack before it took place. This is horrifying. One hopes that the Delhi Police and other investigative agencies conclude the probe as soon as possible.

Kirti Wadhawan,
Kanpur

Sir — Inadequate surveillance, poor vehicle checks, and weak real-time intelligence are the key failures that made the fatal security breach in the capital possible.

R.S. Narula,
Patiala, Punjab

Sir — It cannot be denied that the blast in Delhi and the radicalisation of certain members of the community are a response to the majoritarian mood in the country. The more the government encourages muscular Hinduism, the more other communities are likely to feel the need to resort to such extreme measures. Fraternity must prevail in the country.

A.K. Chakraborty,
Guwahati

Sir — An act of violence resulting in the loss of lives — whoever the culprit and whatever his motive — is totally unacceptable. The ongoing Investigation will reveal the cause of the powerful car explosion near the Red Fort. Speculation and dissemination of misleading and unreliable information before the investigative agencies reveal the details of the incident should be avoided. Some news television anchors are jumping the gun and trotting out their own inferences. A thorough probe alone will reveal if there is a link between the deadly explosion and the recently apprehended terror module. The picture is now hazy; we must wait for it to get clearer.

Nobody should attempt to use the deeply unsettling tragedy for short-term interests. Now is not the time for jingoism. One must think of ways to prevent a recurrence of this kind of incident anywhere in the country.

G. David Milton,
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Sir — It is spine-chilling that a blast in the heart of Delhi has resulted in the death of 13 people and left many severely injured. One thing is clear — this government has miserably failed to take care of the safety and the security of the people of our country and has not learnt any lesson from the earlier dastardly terrorist attacks that have happened over the past 11 years.

Tharcius S. Fernando,
Chennai

Sir — The government must reinforce coordination among intelligence agencies, upgrade surveillance technology, and ensure that metro stations and crowded public spaces are better policed.

M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu

Sir — In the wake of the car blast in Delhi, security has been tightened in other parts of the country. Why could such steps not have been taken earlier? When radicalised elements had been arrested recently from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, Delhi should have been on high alert given its proximity to these states and its significance as the capital. Instead of policing such extremist elements, the Delhi Police was busy nabbing people who were peacefully protesting against the government for the poor air quality in the capital. Both the Delhi government and its minders at the Centre must be held accountable for the blast. Those in positions of power must resign after taking moral responsibility for the incident.

Soham Chowdhury,
Calcutta