‘Drone’ attack
The report, “Suspected drone attack on IAF Jammu station leaves 2 injured” (Page 1, June 28), only leaves one shocked. One cannot help but contrast this with a report, “DRDO successfully tests new generation nuclear capable missile Agni-P” (Online edition, June 28) Though there is an explanation (Inside pages, June 28) about how difficult it can be to detect drones, a reader is left wondering about our state of readiness and the grave dangers drones can pose to other vital and sensitive installations.
Manoharan Muthuswamy,
Chennai
As is usual when a peace or political process is on to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir issue and usher in peace, those elements opposed to peace seem to have raised their ugly heads yet again. One can only draw the conclusion of this being a result of activity from across the international border. The needle of suspicion points to anti-India syndicates. The ingenious modus operandi now does not require manpower and the perpetrators are less traceable. India does need to heighten its security.
Nalini Vijayaraghavan,
Thiruvananthapuram
As the incident shows, sabotage and violence are gaining momentum, which should not be allowed to grow. We cannot rest content that this attack resulted only in injuries. And, what has happened to our intelligence?
Sravana Ramachandran,
Chennai
Clearing court cases
It is to be appreciated that the Madras High Court is considering the appointment of ad hoc judges to clear the backlog of nearly six lakh cases. As far as only civil cases are concerned, ad hoc judges could be appointed as it is common that litigants go in for arbitration in civil matters and where retired judges are usually involved as arbitrators. It is not advisable to have this formula for criminal cases. The elephant in the room is the alarming level of judicial vacancies. There should be no vacancies at all when it comes to judicial fora which is a sine qua non for the enforcement of the rights of the people.
N.G.R. Prasad,
Chennai
Police excesses
The move by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to grant compensation of ₹10 lakh to the family of a victim of police brutality in Salem only highlights the fact that there is falsehood to the hackneyed statement often bandied about: the police is your friend and not your foe. It is the opposite in many cases and this is the sorry state of affairs in India.
The higher-ups do need to go through the police manual frequently, if there is one, and not hesitate to add or delete clauses. Police excesses are still etched in the mind — the case in Tamil Nadu, in 2020, of a father and his son being brutally manhandled and losing their lives, and the Bhagalpur blindings of 1979-80.
Mani Nataraajan,
Chennai
