Letters to The Editor — October 18, 2023

The world must step in

‘An eye-for-eye and tooth-for-tooth would lead to a world of the blind and toothless’ — is what the ground reality is as far as the conflict between Israel and Hamas is concerned. Unless better sense prevails, this war will turn out to be ugly, with larger ramifications. Israel must be made to comprehend the kind of catastrophe the world could be heading to. World leaders must ask Israel to exercise restraint and engage in meaningful dialogue, a process which must include the heads of key nations, to arrive at some sort of settlement. There is a need for a separate Palestinian state, while also making it clear that terrorism should not be encouraged in any form, anywhere.

S. Parthasarathy,

Chennai

Need for transparency

Legalised yet anonymous and unlimited donations received by political parties through the electoral bonds, and which are exempted from the purview of the Right to Information Act, have been a matter of great concern ever since the introduction of this scheme in 2018. There needs to be complete transparency.

D. Sethuraman,

Chennai

The anonymity of the ‘buyer’ and ‘receiver’ of money is apparently ensured so that any quid pro quo deal of any sort does not come to light. It is no secret that the buyers of the bonds are rich corporates and the receivers are the major political parties. There should be a judicial ruling that under the Representation of the People Act, all recognised parties should make an audited annual account available. People have a right to know the financial activities of every party.

B. Sundar Raman,

Coimbatore

Back in the Olympics

The return of cricket to the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 is welcome. But the game should be played in real cricketing spirit, as in the World Cup, with full strength and participation. Otherwise, it will turn out to be yet another damp squib.

Dr. V. Purushothaman,

Chennai

New contenders

In the 1960s and the 1970s, international cricket had its novices in the form of the Kiwis and Ceylon. Regular teams never looked at matches with them as a contest. But these teams have taken great strides and are a force to contend with. In the current age, one has Bangladesh making significant contributions. Afghanistan too is fast showing that it will become a force in global cricket.

S. Kamat,

Alto Santa Cruz, Goa