Shipwrecked
Sir — The ship of the desert might soon become a memory for Indians. Camels, once a staple source of income for many Indians, are edging towards extinction in India. Not only is the sale or export of camels restricted to only a few places in India but camel rearing has also become unsustainable and expensive. Although the Centre has tried to arrest the drastic fall in camel trade, reviving the population of camels, which were once ubiquitous in Rajasthan, will be a difficult enterprise. One wonders what the iconic film, Sonar Kella, would be like had it not featured Lalmohanbabu’s breathless chase on camel-back. In that film, camels had saved the day. But can we save them?
Diya Ghosh, Calcutta
Blood spills
Sir — Terrorists ambushed an army convoy in Jammu’s Kathua district, resulting in the death of five soldiers of Garhwal Rifles (“Kathua ambush kills 5 soldiers”, July 9). This is the second militant attack in the region in two days and the sixth in a month. Kashmir Tigers, a shadow outfit of the Pakistan-based terror outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammad, has claimed responsibility for the attack. Despite a hefty military budget, Indian soldiers continue to perish. The Jammu and Kashmir director-general of police, R.R. Swain, recently set a deadline of three months for ending militancy in Jammu. A similar promise made by the Union minister, Amit Shah, last year remains unfulfilled. The saffron brigade must act upon its poll plank of ‘ghar mein ghus ke marenge’.
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, Faridabad
Sir — It is heartbreaking that five army personnel were killed and several injured in a terrorist ambush in Kathua. Inadequate surveillance and infrequent anti-terrorist operations are responsible for this. The attack has exposed the gaps in the Centre’s claims regarding Jammu and Kashmir’s security. It needs to take stock of the situation and ensure the safety of both the army and the citizens.
Jayanta Datta, Hooghly
Sir — At least five army personnel have been injured in the terrorist attack in Kathua. It is worrying that the number of ambushes is on the rise in new zones of Jammu and Kashmir. The militants have been able to penetrate deeper into the country. The ammunition they use is usually imported from other nations. This is a link that must be examined.
Santi Pramanick, Howrah
Sir — Militancy is on the rise in Jammu and Kashmir (“No full stops on blood and bodybag terrain”, July 10). The latest of such attacks has claimed five lives. Interestingly, militancy has shifted from the Kashmir Valley to Jammu in what is perhaps an attempt by both Pakistan and China to bog down Indian forces in three separate regions — Kashmir, Jammu, and Ladakh. Being engaged in Kashmir will divert India’s attention from the Chinese forces in Ladakh.
N. Sadhasiva Reddy, Bengaluru
Sir — The death of five soldiers in Jammu is a matter of concern. The Centre’s claim of having control over militant activities seems to be a hogwash.
M.C. Vijay Shankar, Chennai
Wise decision
Sir — The Supreme Court has observed that the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (Undergraduate) has been compromised and sought status reports from the Centre, the Central Bureau of Investigation, and the National Testing Agency (“SC seeks leak report, but rider on retest”, July 9). When will the education ministry provide adequate reasons regarding the paper leak? The apex court has taken the sound decision of waiting to ascertain whether the leak was confined to a few exam centres or was more widespread. The culprits should be brought to book.
Arun Gupta, Calcutta
Sir — Cancelling the entire NEET (UG) because of a paper leak is unnecessary. This should be the last resort as the decision might affect the lives of over 23 lakh students who appeared for the examination. Some students are appealing for the removal of the NEET. Such a step will cause bigger problems.
A.P. Thiruvadi, Chennai
Strange words
Sir — The rules of grammar seem to have gone for a toss with students reproducing social media lingo on their answer sheets (“Colloquialisms worry teachers”, July 8). Words like ‘yup’ and ‘yeah’ are used by adults who already have a command over the language. The loss of the habit of reading beyond textbooks contributes to the lack of language skills among young people. The future of grammar looks bleak.
Anthony Henriques, Mumbai
Sir — Mastering the English language has always been a challenge for students. The ineffective method of teaching English in schools is to be blamed for this. Smartphones have now made children acquainted with the language of the new generation and, hence, the shift in their usage of English has become unavoidable.
Pratima Manimala, Howrah
