Letters to the Editor: Talks with Pakistan?

On September 22, 2023, the nation lost three brave hearts in Kashmir when they were gunned down by ISI-sponsored Pakistani terrorists. This is not the first time the nation has been made to bleed by the Pakistani government, which is a terrorist nation. The 23/11 Mumbai terror strike, where the Somnath Mandir was seized and the Parliament attacked, to quote a few, is still fresh in our minds. The bold retaliatory acts, the surgical strikes by the present government, were downplayed by the opposition, mainly the Congress, due to reasons known to all, are also fresh in our minds. In spite of all the peace negotiations undertaken by Lt. Vajpayee and PM Modi, they have all backfired, and once again, Pakistan stabbed us in the back. When the entire nation was mourning the deaths of the three brave hearts, the likes of the Abdullahs and Lone, an ex-Cabinet minister of the then UPA government, were seen advocating for peace talks with Pakistan.

Who are they if not TRAITORS?

Lanu Dutt Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

Neighbours and Friends

One can have neighbours as well as friends. According to Bharat Ratna Atal Behari Vajpayee, one can change his friends but not his neighbours. This has been proven true in the case of India. India has two main neighbours, namely Pakistan and China, and others, namely Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. In the early fifties, just after our independence, India, under Pandit Nehru, the then PM of the nation, had a very cordial relationship with China and wanted it to become a member of the UNO against NATO bloc countries. Now China has even become a member of the Security Council, leaving India far behind. In 1962, China invaded India, taking full advantage of Nehru’s weak and wrong foreign policy. Our once-friendly neighbour has now become an arch enemy like Pakistan, a born enemy of India since its inception. Hence, late Vajpayee was very right when he said that one can change his or her friend but not the neighbour.

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati

According to a report by the United Nations titled “India Ageing Report 2023”, the share of the elderly population—people above 60 years of age—will reach 20.8% of the total population at the national level by 2050, compared with 10.1% in 2021. Increasing longevity and falling fertility rates have resulted in a dramatic increase in the population of adults aged 60 and above in India, resulting in complex health, social, and economic challenges to which this diverse and heterogeneous country must rapidly adapt. As ageing issues are multi-disciplinary in nature, no single-disciplinary focus can give a holistic understanding of them. Therefore, approaches to understanding these issues from a multi- and inter-disciplinary perspective need to be initiated. Studies on nutritional aspects, the impact of migration on the elderly, strengthening community-based institutions, and family support systems should receive greater attention so as to enhance the quality of life of the elderly. To successfully address these challenges, it requires complex and ambitious changes and innovations in health, fiscal, and social policies.

Across the world, elderly people are largely dependent on their family members, but they sadly find themselves at the receiving end in the sunset years of their lives. In the good old days, elders in families were respected a lot due to their wisdom and wealth of life experience. With changing times, sadly, they are seen as millstones and neglected by their own family members. We need to reform our approach towards elderly people by bringing care closer to where they live, where it costs less to deliver, and where it does more good. Acknowledging seniors’ contributions will help to make ours a more age-inclusive society that does not pit one generation against the other. Also, the central government must bring necessary policies and programmes to socially protect the elders of our country.

Ranganathan Sivakumar

Chennai