Abstention at the UN
India has failed Palestine. India abstaining from voting on the resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly calling for a “humanitarian truce and ceasefire in Gaza” shows that India too is behaving like the veto nations that are not in favour of peace prevailing and humanitarian efforts taking place on a war footing (Page 1, October 29). New Delhi should not lose sight of decades of Israeli atrocities in and illegal occupation of the Gaza Strip.
Prabhu Raj R.,
Bengaluru
Should India have abstained in the resolution proposed by Jordan when West Asia is increasingly being pounded by a bloody war? Has India missed the bus to be seen as a votary of peace when the world needs the right kind of stance from peace-loving nations the most?
Dr. George Jacob E.,
Kochi, Kerala
Indefensibly puerile. The construct and intent of the UN resolution was cast in a way not to pinpoint who the aggressor or the aggrieved was, but to condemn all acts of violence aimed at Palestinian and Israeli civilians.
That being so, to abstain from the vote on a resolution that called for a humanitarian truce, on the excuse that it failed to condemn the October 7 attack in Israel, carries little conviction from a country that gave the world the apostle of peace.
Ayyasseri Raveendranath,
Aranmula, Kerala
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The resolution was for the sake of saving lives. It was immaterial that it did not explicitly name and denounce Hamas as the cause of the crisis, as India desired. Didn’t Prime Minister Narendra Modi tell Russia when it attacked Ukraine “... that today’s era is not an era of war”?
Kamal Laddha,
Bengaluru
India’s abstention is painful. Nothing can justify the suffering of civilians. India should have been compassionate enough to have voted in favour of the resolution.
Abdul Kader,
Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu
India’s abstention betrays its lack of statesmanship and mature diplomacy. The impending escalation of an Israeli ground-offensive would only worsen an already humongous humanitarian crisis. In such a grim situation, the “new India”, which claims to be rising as an influential world leader, ought to have taken a firm stand.
S.K. Choudhury,
Bengaluru
Bangladesh’s move
It is heartening that Bangladesh is to build a war memorial to honour the heroes of the 1971 war, though a good five decades plus after its liberation. One wishes that Bangladesh also installs a statue of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, without whose political intervention and military go-ahead Bangladesh would never have been able to pull off a victory against Pakistan.
Avinash Godboley,
Dewas, Madhya Pradesh
Salt intake
The use of salt — excess when compared to many other parts of the world — is the bane of the Indian way of cooking. India’s love for spicy and pickled food has only compounded the problem (‘Science’ page, October 29). There should be a focused national campaign on the lines of the risks of tobacco use and the health message made clear.
Kosaraju Chandramouli,
Hyderabad
Stars of the World Cup
The Netherlands completing a stunning win over Bangladesh probably heralds a new era for the Dutch in cricket (‘Sport’ page, October 29). This World Cup will be remembered for the ‘coming of age’ of Afghanistan and the Netherlands. Both teams have played some superlative cricket and defeated their more fancied opponents.
Dr. Thomas Palocaren,
Vellore, Tamil Nadu
Between neighbours
One is in agreement that good neighbourly relations in a multi-storey building are near futile (‘Open’ page, October 22). Near wars between various floors result over damaged water pipes and their delayed repairs, and even kitchen and drawing room noises.
D. Sethuraman,
Chennai
