Letters to the Editor — June 28, 2022

At the China border

It is worrisome that China is upgrading its defence equipment on its border with India (Page 1, "China upgraded firepower on LAC", June 27). That these developments in terms of a military infrastructure build-up have been going on ever since the stand-off between India and China confirms the point that China has been planning meticulously in terms of a permanency.

One wonders where the talks that have been held so far on disengagement and de-escalation are heading if China is working to a plan. Though India has expanded its military capabilities and augmented its border defence infrastructure, it should be alert to face any eventualities.

D. Sethuraman,

Chennai

If the report is true, it reveals the true intentions of Beijing. And if the shared interests of India and China are dominant in other spheres, it is not clear why no major headway has been made to de-escalate the situation on the border. Keeping the border issue alive will only lead to unintended consequences, regardless of other breakthroughs achieved in bilateral relations and at multilateral forums.

A. Venkatasubramanian,

Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu

The Left is back

In past decades, most nations were swinging far right, some totalitarian like China, Russia and Turkey. The world over, leaders sought political longevity in right-wing bias and in a duet with authoritarianism under a thin veneer of democracy. Now, there is a perceptible shift to Leftist parties across geographies, be it in Latin America and South East Asia. In Europe, the far Left is challenging the far Right. The U.S. had already discarded Donald Trump and western nations seem no longer enthusiastic about right-wing politics. The outcome in the French elections is a signal. COVID-19 exposed the fragility of the common man in the face of a deteriorating economy globally. While Emmanuel Macron was elected President to also ward off Russian belligerence, the divide induced by the pandemic between the rich and the commoner had the French electorate leaning significantly Left in the Parliament elections, in the hope of moderating capitalist bias in economic policies. The global quest to find an ideological equilibrium will be endless.

R. Narayanan,

Navi Mumbai

U.S. and women's rights

Can a girl or woman be burdened with an unwanted child? Where is the freedom of choice? Why restrict the decision only to abortion? Does the Statue of Liberty standing so high sanction all this? Do women alone have to trace their rights to the Constitution? Is there not something such as the basic inalienable right of women?

The anti-abortion judgment in the United States that has reversed a 50-year stand in Roe vs Wade, proceeds on a misconception of women's rights and the Constitution. The U.S. can no longer boast that it is a democratic country wedded to the rule of law.

At one end of the spectrum the U.S. Supreme Court is taking away the right to abort and at the other end it expands the right to have a gun which will only increase the risk of killings and promote the gun lobby.

N.G.R. Prasad,

Chennai

Ranji win

In its spirited Ranji campaign that culminated in style, Madhya Pradesh did play some winsome cricket ('Sport' page, "Madhya Pradesh keeps its date with maiden Ranji Trophy glory", June 27). The achievement of M.P. should have reminded many of the era and legacy of the Holkar team from Indore.

C.G. Kuriakose,

Malippara, Kothamangalam, Kerala