Rare luxury
Sir — Social media feeds have been inundated with a video clip of two individuals caught on the ‘kiss cam’ at a Coldplay concert. The shock and mortification on the faces of the two — the CEO and the head of the human resources of a software company — upon realising that they had been caught cuddling on the big screen suggested that they had something to hide. The allegation is that the two are having an affair that has now been exposed. In the age of the internet, cameras are everywhere and always rolling. In such an atmosphere of surveillance, privacy has become a luxury that even the rich cannot afford.
Nishtha Chugh,
Mumbai
Show compassion
Sir — T.M. Krishna’s article, “Interconnected issue” (July 18), was an eye-opener. Many people tend to be scared of street dogs. But the road is the natural habitat of strays. Civilisation inherently implies the enrichment of all beings, including animals. Rapid urbanisation has limited the scope for open spaces. In a 2022 ruling, the Supreme Court emphasised that street dogs cannot be kept in captivity. Measures like sterilisation and immunisation must thus be undertaken to prevent human-stray conflict.
Dhruba Mukherjee,
Hooghly
Sir — While hearing a petition alleging harassment over the feeding of community dogs, the Supreme Court suggested that people should feed strays in their own houses. This is heartening. It has become difficult for children, morning walkers and two-wheeler riders to use the roads without inviting the fury of stray dogs. The cases of children being mauled to death by street dogs are on the rise. In 2023, 2.7 million incidents of dog bites were recorded in India. Rabies is endemic in the country, which accounts for a substantial 36% of global rabies deaths. The authorities should proactively neuter community dogs to keep their population under check.
I.S. Bajwa,
Ludhiana
Sir — The Supreme Court’s suggestion to a petitioner to feed community dogs in her own house is unreasonable. One person or a volunteer group cannot provide shelter to all strays. The government should take the initiative to establish designated safe spaces for community dogs where they can be fed by volunteers.
T. Ramadas,
Visakhapatnam
Woeful situation
Sir — The world is stuck in an endless loop of wars and destruction. Not a single day goes by when people in strife-torn regions do not hear the sound of drones and missiles. A long-lasting ceasefire that will usher in real peace is imperative. Nuclear facilities should be used only for peaceful development. Unfortunately, warmongering countries spend fortunes on building weapons of mass destruction while the educated youth remain unemployed and children live in a world of uncertainties. World leaders prefer the continuation of wars to sustain their vested interests.
Dilip Kumar Ghoshal,
Calcutta
Youth vote
Sir — It is heartening that Britain is set to lower the minimum voting age from 18 to 16 years in the next national election. This will give the United Kingdom one of the lowest suffrage ages in the world. Many 16- to 18-year-olds are employed or serve in the military. The change will ensure that this significant segment of the electorate has the opportunity to engage in the democratic process.
Jayanta Datta,
Hooghly
Sir — Britain will soon allow its 16- and 17-year-olds to vote. This is one of the widest expansions of voting rights in decades. However, the Labour government has become quite unpopular in recent times, and the step seems to be a desperate attempt to stay in power.
Jayanthy Subramaniam,
Mumbai
