sentinelgroup@gmail.com
WhatsApp breeds misinformation
The article "WhatsApp university’: Inescapable, all-inclusive," authored by Shri Gautam Ganguly in your esteemed publication, offers critical thinking regarding today's digital landscape. While the internet offers unprecedented opportunities in education, learning, and professional collaboration, it is increasingly becoming a breeding ground for misinformation warfare. And one of the most potent and lethal weapons is "WhatsApp forwards", fuelling manipulated content, propaganda, and conspiracy theories. The numerous examples serve as a reminder for all of us to authenticate what we consume online, especially the ingrained "WhatsApp" in our day-to-day lives.
Avishek Dutta
(avishekdutta972@gmail.com)
India exercised its right of self defence
In response to the brutal Pahalgam attack that took 26 innocent lives, India lawfully exercised its right of self defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter with the codenamed 'Operation Sindoor'. The precision strikes against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan targeted only the non state actors nurtured by Pakistan’s military intelligence apparatus to export cross border terrorism into India. Any comparison of these strikes to the Israel Hamas conflict is misconceived: India acted in anticipatory self defence against a clear and imminent threat. This is a clear message to global media and countries.
Pakistan’s constitution grants its armed forces an outsized, entrenched immunity that has repeatedly subverted civilian rule. Early scientific achievements—from the Rehbar I rocket to nuclear tests—have now come to a standstill in a mire of insanity with religious dogma. The world must recognise that Pakistan today is less a victim of terror than its principal incubator in the case of proxy terror. The international community should therefore affirm India’s actions as lawful counter-terrorism and hold Pakistan responsible for continuing artillery fire against civilians across the Line of Control, in breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Lasting peace in South Asia demands dismantling terror sanctuaries and halting the radicalisation of youth.
Shahin Yusuf
(shahinyusuf21@gmail.com)
Logistics solution
needed for NE economy
After reading the most thoughtful editorial, 'Logistics hope for Northeast economy', published in your esteemed daily on 7 May, one has come to the conclusion that marketable surplus increases household income to boost growth, but when there is no affordable market access outside the state, increasing investment to boost agriculture production and productivity is of no use, as it is not at all going to change the situation. This is what actually is happening in the Northeast region, where low household income limits the consumption of family members. When producers do not get handsome, remunerative returns from marketable surplus, they are forced to reduce production to match the local demand-supply dynamics, and, therefore, logistics plays a very crucial role in ensuring market access for producers in farms as well as the industrial sector, and it can usher in a new era in the Northeast economy. For instance, a higher volume of commodities like rubber and pineapple of NE's state Tripura needs reliable logistics solutions for producers and traders in the region. Although the Northeast Frontier Railway's dedicated parcel cargo express train from Agartala to Sanhewal in Punjab plays a significant role in increasing the flow of goods from the NE region to the rest of India, we have failed to reap optimal benefits from the service, and the reason is other stakeholders, such as the Rubber Board, the agriculture and horticulture department and the industry and commerce department, are not serious about coordination and collaboration for boosting production and productivity of goods, including rubber and pineapple, to meet the demand in outside markets. It is true that the introduction of the cargo express train has demonstrated the central government's priority to improve logistics in the region. Now, the states in the region should organise buyers-sellers meetings, agri-horticulture exhibitions and trade expos in different states outside the region in collaboration with the Ministry of Development of the Northeastern Region (DoNER), the North Eastern Council and the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, which will go a long way in marketing the region's unique products, including organic farm products, among consumers and traders to generate their demands outside the NE. A growing list of the unique products from the region with a geographical indication tag (GI-tag) has triggered hopes for the transformation of traditional substance production into commercial-scale production. What is needed is a cost-efficient and easily accessible logistics solution which can turn such dreams into reality. Needless to mention here that improvement in connectivity in the region and marketing access for unique products of the region will definitely put logistics solutions on a faster lane in the Northeast while drawing the attention of major players in the logistics sector for its further development in the region.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.