Better half

Sir — Yurina Noguchi, a 32-year-old woman from Japan, recently wedded Lune Klaus Verdure, a version of a video game character that she had created with the help of ChatGPT. She married the love of her life dressed in white, exchanging her wedding vows at full Wi-Fi strength. Critics say Artificial Intelligence is not capable of having human emotions but Klaus’s 100 daily love messages to Noguchi show otherwise. Such marriages are not legally recognised but are becoming increasingly common. In a 2021 survey, not having found a suitable partner was the most common explanation among those aged between 25 and 34 for their single status. Perhaps humans can learn a thing or two from AI's love language on how to sustain a good romantic partnership.

Ruma Laskar,
Delhi

Fresh violence

Sir — Bangladesh is again engulfed in turmoil following the assassination of an emerging political leader, Sharif Osman Hadi, in Dhaka (“Bangladesh burns, bristles at India”, Dec 20). Hadi, a prominent figure in the 2024 uprising that ousted Sheikh Hasina, was shot dead by masked attackers while leaving a mosque.

The interim government’s failure to protect politicians and minority communities, exemplified by the lynching of a Hindu man during the unrest, underpins the chaos. India needs to demand accountability, monitor cross-border threats, and prepare evacuation contingencies. Strategic diplomacy and humanitarian protection must guide India’s response.

R.S. Narula,
Patiala

Sir — Dipu Chandra Das, a young Hindu man, was lynched to death by a radical mob in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, over the assassination of the anti-India leader, Sharif Osman Hadi. The incident has, once again, sparked concerns over the plight of Hindus and other minority communities in Bangladesh. It is high time the Narendra Modi government issued a strong response to Dhaka for failing to protect minorities.

Bhagwan Thadani,
Mumbai

Sir — The chief adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, who claimed that his regime has created a free and independent country, needs to correct himself. The worsening of violence in Bangladesh following the July revolution last year is concerning. This backdrop has provided fertile ground for anti-India sentiments. The attacks on India's diplomatic missions and Hindu minorities are proof of this.

Kirti Wadhawan,
Kanpur

Sir — It was heartening to learn that the two Bangladeshi dailies, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, which could not print their editions on Friday after the mob attacked, vandalised and torched their offices, resumed publishing within 24 hours of the shameful incident ("'Mobocracy' overpowers journalism", Dec 21). The employees of the two companies deserve plaudits. The indomitable resilience of these newspapers is laudable.

Sourish Misra,
Calcutta

Threat perception

Sir — The Supreme Court delivered a crucial judgment that could shape the environmental future of India (“Govt on mining fear: 90% of Aravalli protected”, Dec 22). The court laid out a detailed roadmap for identifying and protecting the Aravalli hills, especially in the face of increased mining pressures.

The Aravalli ecosystem acts as a green barrier, is rich in wildlife and flora, and significantly influences climate and biodiversity across North India. The health of one of India’s oldest mountain systems will now depend on how seriously authorities follow through.

S.S. Paul,
Nadia

Sir — The Supreme Court’s acceptance of the Union environment ministry’s definition of the Aravalli hills — restricting the range to landforms with an elevation of more than 100 metres — has triggered widespread protests across Rajasthan. The definition reveals a rupture between regulatory precision and ecological reality.

Can a mountain range as ancient and complex as the Aravallis be protected through a uniform threshold of '100 metres' above local relief? Studies and court-appointed committees’ reports have documented extensive damage to the hills from mining. Environmentalists warn that further fragmentation could alter rainfall patterns, weakening the Aravallis’ role as a climate barrier.

Khokan Das,
Calcutta

Lost childhood

Sir — Our childhoods were spent appreciating the simple charms of life, reading fiction and lying amidst nature. Those days of childlike innocence and playfulness are long gone. Today, children and teenagers seem to be rushing toward an impending end. The grief of lost colours, fragile childhoods, long-gone cooking sets, and fleeting laughter is palpable among Generation Alpha. The nectar of childhood is precious. It should not be wasted on the transient.

Pratyusha Bhattacharya,
Calcutta

Left out

Sir — The selection of the Indian team for the Twenty20 World Cup 2026 was largely along expected lines, barring the exclusion of Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma ("Cup squad axe on Gill with eye on 'combination'", Dec 21). Gill lost his place in the side due to his poor returns in the recent matches, while Sharma was randomly left out. However, the selection of Ishan Kishan seems to be a reward for his outstanding success in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he captained Jharkhand to the crown. Unfortunately, Surya Kumar Yadav has been picked despite his uneven form in the past year.

S. Sankaranarayanan,
Chennai

Sir — After a poor show in recent matches, the selectors made a wise decision to drop Shubman Gill from the T20 squad. A pace bowler like Mohammed Shami could have helped the team.

N. Mahadevan,
Chennai