This refers to Sunilkumar Karintha’s column on chronic political violence in Kerala’s Kannur district (Structures of Violence, September 20). Ghastly violence, including coldblooded murders, in the killing fields of Kannur is in a piece with the universal pattern—a bunch of thugs sold on political ideology agree to bear the cudgel, club and sword at the behest of leaders who remote-control them from their air-conditioned comfort zones! The only ones to lose are families of the victims, and nobody even remembers these ‘martyrs’ once the deed is done.
George Jacob, Kochi
This refers to Kerala assembly speaker M.B. Rajesh’s column on the Malabar rebellion of 1921 (Beware of the Victor’s Lies, September 13). He rightly points out that the British colonial rulers tried to malign the people’s revolt in the region as a mere Mappila (Muslim) rebellion, in much the same way as they painted the first War of Indian Independence in 1857 as a mere Sepoy Mutiny. The Indian Council of Historical Research would be taking a leaf from the colonial playbook if it treats the Malabar uprising as communal violence rather than as part of our freedom struggle. The rebellion was against the oppression perpetrated by dominant caste landlords and the British, and the rebels—as well as others, mainly peasants, who were tortured or massacred during the counterinsurgency—included Hindus too. That’s why looking at this rebellion only through the angle of religion does injustice to the sacrifices of our freedom fighters.
Safdar Shadab, On E-Mail
This refers to your cover story on cryptocurrencies (Bullish, September 20). The cryptocurrencies are nothing but psycho-digital viruses. The so-called exchange centres are de facto gambling joints, and the cryptocurrencies mere casino-tokens. The rupee has the government’s sovereign support, the dollar is supported by the US government and so on. Hence banks honour transactions in such currencies. Cryptocurrencies do not have such support. The RBI circular asking banks to ensure that services are not provided to customers dealing in cryptocurrencies was really a step in the right direction. The Union government should now seek a legislative ban on crypto-trade. If it is not banned in the country, corruption will rise exponentially.
D.V. Mohana Prakash, Mysore
This refers to the column by B.M. Vyas and Manu Kaushik on the National Mission on Edible Oil-Palm Oil (A Slick Story, September 13). It throws light on the pros and cons of the mission announced in August to establish oil-palm cultivation in the Northeast and the Andaman and Nicobar islands. The transformation envisaged in these biodiversity hotspots could alter their ecology, affect farm incomes, endanger food security, and put a burden on scarce water resources in the long run. It also runs counter to the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture. Oil palm plantations in other parts of the world have eliminated the ecological role of forests as carbon sinks and severely hurt wildlife. There is no need to replicate this in India. Instead, the government could encourage cultivation of traditional oil crops like mustard, coconut and groundnut by giving incentives to farmers. In a world ravaged by multiple crises that can all be traced to human impact on the environment, the government should evaluate the mission through the climate lens, no matter how economically lucrative it promises to be.
Vijay Singh Adhikari, Nainital
This refers to your cover story on climate change and ecological catastrophe (Prelude to an Ending, September 13). The latest report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has had an hair-raising effect on scientists, activists and environmental groups across the world, further confirming their own concerns regarding the disastrous impacts of fast-changing weather conditions and extreme climate-related events such as hurricanes and heat waves. The warnings have been blinking red for a long time, and this report is the latest blaring alarm. Higher global temperatures, melting glaciers and rising sea levels are driven by carbon emissions that are inseparable from the globally-dominant mode of development based on economic growth. One of the big questions posed by world leaders is whether it’s still possible to meet the targets set by the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Most of the biggest economies in the world are not on track to meet those targets because they continue to rely too heavily on fossil fuels, including coal, for electricity, transportation and industry. The IPCC report shows that we are already in the midst of a climate crisis, and that climate-related hazards will only get worse without swift action. The report claims that it is still possible to meet the targets set under the Paris agreement, though it gets more difficult with every passing day. As a global threat, addressing climate change requires international collaboration, and the report asserts that government policies and action can drastically reduce carbon emissions.
Seetharambasaani, Hanamkonda (Telangana)
It’s not just policymakers who are responsible for choosing the destructive path on which we are happily walking even though it will surely end in a blind alley of annihilation. We too are responsible for our lifestyle choices that endanger life on earth. Destruction as ‘development’ continues and we fail to see the writing on the wall. Nature gave us a clear warning in the form of Covid, and worse is sure to come.
Rakesh Agrawal, Dehradun
The IPCC report is frightening, but it is also a grim reminder that all countries must do something concrete to avoid the impending disasters. The situation today is the result of greed. In the name of development, most developed countries have shown utter disregard for the environment. The rich and developed countries must have a greater responsibility to protect the world from the ravages of climate change, as much of their development has been at the cost of the environment. India is also guilty, but it is more a victim than driving force of climate change. It should strike a balance between development and the environment.
D.B. Madan, New Delhi
This refers to your story on the impact of climate change on the Sundarbans (Waves Whisper Closer, September 13). It must serve as an eye-opener for the government and civil society to take steps for conserving and maintaining the pristine glory of this natural ecosystem ravaged by climate change and cyclones, and large-scale migrations. Nearly half of the Ghoramara island has been submerged over the past three decades. Thousands of people had no choice but to leave their villages. Hundreds of villages in the Sunderbans and surrounding areas are on the brink of natural disasters that can set off a train of such environmental time bombs. One thing can be said with certainty: if the Sunderbans deteriorate, Calcutta won’t be far away from destruction. This precarious situation demands emergency actions. At the same time, the ambitious policy of making the region a tourist hotspot must not come at our own peril.
Vijay Singh Adhikari, Nainital
