Lost flavours

Sir — It appears that climate change has now come for the gin and tonic — a blow to British summer rituals if ever there was one. According to researchers, juniper is losing its aromatic punch thanks to increasingly soggy weather. One wonders what is next — bland coffee, timid chocolate, forgettable wine? While these may seem trifling concerns when one considers melting ice caps, flavour is no frivolity. Taste holds memory and history. Each vanishing note is a small erosion of culture. Let no one call it mere gourmand grief — it is a quiet reminder of all that the world stands to lose.

Tathagata Sanyal,
Birmingham, UK

Fog of war

Sir — The phrase, ‘fog of war’, once belonged to the battlefield. Now it has firmly settled over our social media feeds. What began as a military concept has become an apt description for the digital haze that clouds public understanding of conflict. Social media algorithms filter more than facts — they filter feeling, flatten nuance, and feed frenzy. The result is a curious brew: outrage without understanding and opinion without context. The fog has lifted from the trenches only to descend upon timelines.

S.S. Paul,
Calcutta

Sir — War coverage — be it from Gaza, Ukraine, Iran or Israel — has been reduced to a flurry of flashing updates and two-minute explainer videos online. The pursuit of instant information often leaves no room for reflection. Bite-sized content is a poor substitute for the complexity provided by newspapers and opinion pages. When history is summarised in hashtags, public engagement becomes skin-deep and horror is swiftly forgotten.

Yashodhara Sen,
Calcutta

Sir — In times of war, our social media timelines are flooded with solidarity posts — at times genuine and, at other times, staged for social credit. Nestled as it often is between selfies and sandwich reviews, moral outrage has acquired a performative edge. The impulse to ‘take a stand’ can often devolve into a display of allegiance rather than an act of understanding.

N. Sadhasiva Reddy,
Bengaluru

Paused showers

Sir — The southwest monsoon’s erratic behaviour this year — it arrived early and then paused abruptly — serves as a timely reminder that climate systems no longer follow familiar scripts. While favourable oceanic indicators have offered hope, the absence of land heating due to May’s cool, wet spells has complicated matters. A smooth monsoon revival is critical for kharif sowing. Encouragingly, low food inflation and healthy buffer stocks can offer India short-term relief. But policymakers must remain alert. Climate volatility makes it unwise to shut the door on import options prematurely.

Nadim Dhakiya,
Amroha, Uttar Pradesh

Sir — The coming week may prove decisive for the southwest monsoon. Early rainfall in May cooled the land when it ought to have been heated up, weakening the low-pressure systems that draw in monsoon winds. While ocean conditions remain favourable, a timely revival of the monsoon is essential for kharif planting. If the monsoon does not resume in time, food inflation may shoot up, once again.

P. Victor Selvaraj,
Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu

Magical meals

Sir — Roadside dhabas offer a sensory feast: fresh ghee rotis, moong dal tadka, and singaras bubbling in oil. The sight of hot jalebis, the earthy aroma of tawa rotis, and the warmth of chai shared under open skies remain etched in memory. It was food made with love. One wonders whether today’s youth — spoilt for choice between trendy cafes — will ever experience such magical meals.

Rajib Bhattacharyya,
Calcutta