New boss

Sir — Usually, it is the reel that follows the real. But, for once, it is the real that seems to be learning from the reel. It seems that MI6 has finally decided to follow in the footsteps of Golden Eye: it has appointed a woman as its chief nearly three decades after Dame Judi Dench played M in the Bond films. Art, it appears, does not just imitate life — it eventually nags it into submission. Blaise Metreweli’s rise to the top of MI6 is undoubtedly historic. It must be admitted here that in spite of being led by M, the characters in the Bond films remained trapped in a world of shaken martinis and outdated banter — M rightly called 007 a “sexist, misogynist dinosaur”. But the actual intelligence world appears to be inching towards the 21st century.

Ankush Padhi,
Calcutta

Drowned in apathy

Sir — The scale of devastation in Manipur is staggering — thousands displaced, homes destroyed, rivers overflowing, and major routes severed. Yet there is little national outcry. Had this occurred in a metropolitan region, ministerial convoys and relief announcements would have arrived in hours. Manipur’s prolonged suffering reveals a federal blind spot where distance diminishes empathy and geography dictates urgency. Disaster relief must not depend on visibility in Delhi. A uniform, humane national emergency response system is not a luxury but a constitutional necessity.

Ireima Imsong,
Jiribam, Manipur

Sir — Manipur’s plight owing to unrelenting rains and landslides continues with minimal national acknowledgement. Over 35,000 homes have been damaged and more than 1.5 lakh people have been affected. Yet, this news is barely making headlines. This is a sad reflection of selective media and ministerial attention. The silence surrounding this humanitarian emergency is both deafening and dangerous. It is time to ask why some disasters merit primetime compassion while others are left to local goodwill and bureaucratic forms.

Deba Prasad Bhattacharya,
Calcutta

Sir — Manipur’s flood victims are now tasked with completing damage forms amid chaos and displacement. This bureaucratic rigour might ensure accountability but it ignores lived reality. Are flood-affected families expected to find officials, complete forms, and queue for aid while their homes are sinking? Without ground-level outreach, a direct benefit transfer becomes a hollow promise. Relief must meet people where they are instead of waiting for paperwork. Otherwise, the system is not just failing, it is actively excluding citizens.

Mohammad Hasnain,
Muzaffarpur

Sir — Manipur’s current flooding is a recurring pattern exacerbated by climate change and poor preparedness. With each deluge, the response remains reactive, fragmented and short-term. Inter-ministerial coordination and infrastructural foresight remain woefully absent. Warnings from the India Meteorological Department, blocked roads and collapsing embankments demand more than rapid response teams; they require long-term policy shifts and real investment. Ignoring the ecological vulnerability of the Northeast is no longer oversight; it is negligence by design.

Omar Faruque Mondal,
Goalpara, Assam

Sir — When floods paralysed Chennai or submerged parts of Mumbai, the nation stood in collective concern. Why does Manipur not deserve the same solidarity? Relief is being left to community volunteers and overwhelmed district officials. Where are the televised appeals, the ministerial visits, or even a prime-time mention? Invisibility in national discourse should not be the fate of any Indian state. A disaster of this scale should unite the country.

A.G. Rajmohan,
Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh

Sir — Already fractured by last year’s ethnic strife, Manipur now faces a compounding ecological crisis. Floods and landslides have uprooted thousands but Central response remains inadequate. The people of Manipur are facing dual trauma — of violence and environmental collapse — without adequate institutional support. Continued neglect risks alienating yet another generation from the national fold. Disaster response must not only be immediate but it must also be equitable. That
principle, sadly, appears suspended in the hills of Manipur.

S. Prasad,
Calcutta

Break the stigma

Sir — India’s scam epidemic is an evolving threat exploiting digital ignorance and emotional manipulation. These scams, with scamsters posing as law enforcement officials or job recruiters, are scripted performances designed to override doubt and provoke obedience. Victims are not gullible, they are simply human. Silence driven by shame only strengthens the scammers. Scam literacy must become part of public education and digital policy. Financial systems, schools, and media must work together to normalise awareness and remove stigma.

Romana Ahmed,
Calcutta

Shift in perspective

Sir — The Solar Orbiter’s unprecedented images of the Sun’s South Pole mark a landmark moment for space science. A minor orbital tilt has granted access to a view hidden for millennia. That a modest angle change could yield such profound insight is both humbling and exhilarating. The universe, it seems, rewards curiosity.

Indranil Sanyal,
Calcutta

Isolated path

Sir — Morning walkers often wear earphones not just for music but to carve out personal space. This invisible bubble also severs spontaneous human contact. As technology connects distant loved ones, it increasingly distances nearby strangers.

P. Victor Selvaraj,
Chennai