Concerns over ship
The docking of the Chinese satellite tracking vessel at Hambantota in Sri Lanka needs to be viewed beyond an India versus China hypothesis. The port was flawed in terms of viability. After it was opened for traffic, it handled just 1% of ships when compared to Colombo. Even as Sri Lanka was repaying its Chinese loans with difficulty, the COVID-19 pandemic sunk the nation’s economy. The Sri Lankan President is in the unenviable position of tackling bankruptcy, political tailwinds, a Chinese debt burden, assuring the IMF, and also handling frosty India-China ties. India would need to navigate this and future episodes not only over Hambantota but also on the larger issues linked to the geopolitics of the Indian Ocean, with understanding and diplomatic acumen.
R. Narayanan,
Navi Mumbai
I do not think it is right for India to be bullying Colombo. The ship is not a war vessel. I am sure that if China wanted to spy on India, it must have done its work from space. Is India aware of the capabilities of Chinese satellites?
S. Gopal,
Bengaluru
That the Chinese ship was able to dock in a port in Sri Lanka is shocking. It is a clear failure of Indian diplomacy and an inability to see things strategically. Would the U.S. allow China or Russia to lease a port in Mexico? India should have bailed out Sri Lanka and ensured that its strategic interests are protected.
Anandasubramanian C.P.,
Dunwoody, Georgia, U.S.
Release of convicts
The release of 11 convicts by the Gujarat government in connection with the Bilkis Bano case is disturbing. The spectacle of the men being ‘felicitated’ is a discomfiting episode especially when the Prime Minister has spoken about the rights and the dignity of women. The rape survivor underwent undescribable trauma. Why is the judiciary silent?
Syed Sultan Mohiddin,
Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh
What a shame! Offences such as gangrape should be made a non-bailable offence. One wonders why the judiciary has not stepped in as this is clear injustice.
Sravana Ramachandran,
Chennai
