Fluid borders
Sir — In a feat of romantic dedication that would put humans to shame, a male humpback whale recently shattered records by swimming 13,046 kilometres in search of his mate. This is the longest-ever recorded migration for the species — nearly double the usual 8,000-km commute. While most humans would not even drive 20 minutes if the traffic is bad, this whale crossed three oceans and two distinct breeding zones for a connection. At a time when we are obsessed with borders and identity, this lovestruck whale’s journey is also a refreshing reminder that the natural world remains a beautifully connected space.
Rima Saha,
Patna
Restive state
Sir — Iran is facing a serious domestic crisis marked by economic distress and public unrest. Rising inflation, unemployment, and the sharp fall of the Iranian rial have made daily life extremely difficult for ordinary Iranians. Security crackdowns and restrictions on communication have added fuel to the fire. The Iran crisis is not just an internal issue but also a matter of global concern. Meaningful interventions are needed to ensure stability.
Hammad Noori,
Araria, Bihar
Sir — Iran has often been a soft target for the United States of America and Israel. The US and Israel must not take advantage of the strife in the country. It will no doubt escalate into a full-blown war if they do so. The Iranian foreign minister has stated that Tehran is prepared for war as well as to negotiate.
Murtaza Ahmad,
Calcutta
Sir — The civilian protests and violence in Iran have already resulted in thousands of deaths and massive destruction of property in Iran. The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, has cracked down hard on protesters. Alarmingly, the US has warned that it is going to launch a military strike on Iran. Iran’s military is the most powerful in the Middle East.
Anwar Saeed,
Calcutta
Sir — Iran’s internet shutdowns during public protests reveal a disturbing pattern. Authorities claim that this digital blackout is meant to restore order. Yet history shows that it is meant to hide State excesses from global scrutiny. By cutting off internet access, the State denies citizens the right to document abuses, seek help and be heard.
Hasnain Rabbani,
Mumbai
Sir —Ayatollah Khamenei’s denunciation of protesters as enemies of the Islamic Republic is unsurprising. Such rhetoric has little credibility given the scale and the intensity of the movement. The familiar charge of foreign conspiracy is unlikely to shield the regime this time. Unless the authorities engage constructively with voices of reason, the current deadlock will only deepen.
M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
Sir — The exiled Iranian crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, is positioning himself as a voice of change and encouraging protesters to overthrow the regime of Ayatollah Khamenei. Interestingly, the internal unrest in Iran intersects with geopolitical tensions among Tehran, Washington and Tel Aviv.
Gregory Fernandes,
Mumbai
Imbalanced view
Sir — In the article, “Faith vs State, distorted” (Jan 13), Mehul Devkala waxes eloquent about Jawaharlal Nehru’s unease over the Saurashtra government’s 1951 decision to allocate five lakh rupees for an installation ceremony at the Somnath temple because of the financial crises facing the country. However, he glosses over the fact that the haj subsidy was introduced by Nehru in 1959 in a brazen violation of secular principles and at a cost to the exchequer.
Ajay Tyagi,
Mumbai
Keen vision
Sir — It was heartbreaking to read that the American author and cartoonist, Scott Adams, died at the age of 68. He wrote about the social and the psychological landscape of white-collar workers in modern corporations. He rose to fame with his comic strip, Dilbert, which appeared in around 2,000 newspapers across 70 countries.
Jayanta Datta,
Hooghly
Useless outrage
Sir — The news about objections and vandalism over the word, ‘Bombay’, on a dhaba signboard in Bhiwandi calls for serious reflection. Such reactions, carried out in the name of language and identity, only add fuel to social tension. Names are part of history; erasing them by force neither changes the past nor improves the present.
Kyamudin Ansari,
Mumbai
Stay alert
Sir — The detection of two cases of the Nipah virus in West Bengal has caused anxiety across the state. Nipah is a serious zoonotic disease known to cause severe illness in humans. Governments both at the Centre and in the state must closely monitor the situation and address any emerging concerns as soon as possible.
Kiran Agarwal,
Calcutta
