Letters to the Editor: Of retaliation and reconciliation

The differences between the Meiteis and the Kukis in Manipur are as wide as the differences between the two contrasting words: retaliation and reconciliation. When both the ethnic communities of Manipur, sharing more commonality than differences, opt for retaliation instead of reconciliation, the hatred between them will only grow. They are out to inflict wounds on each other that will take centuries to heal. A clash of interests can be resolved only through mutual understanding and dialogue between the two communities. The problem lies in the fact that when the two communities cannot celebrate the commonality between them, how can they bridge the differences in their interests, like ST status for the Meiteis? They need to have exchanges of cultural and linguistic affinities that may generate trust among them. And trust is the prerequisite for their resolving their differences.

Topo Singha,

Milan Nagar, Guwahati

Glue of friendship to promote peace

It is said a few relationships on earth never die, and friendship is one of them. The willingness to accept the good and bad of the other person, or nation, is essentially the essence of true friendship. Interpersonal friendship and friendship between societies and nations are key to fostering goodwill and peace around the globe. This unique character, of course, is fraught with roadblocks. The harmonious relationship between the peoples of the world is threatened by many factors—some negotiable, some not. People-to-people understanding and peer support, which usually cement friendships at all levels, stand to be broken by poverty, violence, prejudice, and hatred.

Global conflicts and ill-will would be things of the past if people and communities around the world stood as one. The only consoling factor is that friends of these nations are contributing their mite to infuse sanity among countries hell-bent on destroying one another. In a similar vein, the exchange of people between countries, through tourism, education, and employment, has tremendously buffered friendship between different countries so dissimilar in culture and traditions but held firmly by the glue of friendship. In 2011, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) recognised July 30 as ‘International Friendship Day’ or ‘World Friendship Day’ to build bridges between communities to usher in peace.

Dr Ganapathi Bhat

(gbhat13@gmail.com.)

Spelling Bees

Spelling Bees, who take part in the prestigious annual Scripps National Spelling Bee competition in the U.S., have become synonymous with the height of this intellectual contest, which has transmogrified over the years. The journey to the competition typically begins at the local level, where students compete in school and community spelling bees. Winners of these contests move on to regional competitions, which serve as qualifying rounds for the national stage. Once at nationals, they are pushed through three rounds before making it to the final round. Through each stage, the field of spellers gradually narrows until a select few make it to the Championship Finals.

Significantly, for years, the competition, which is loaded with plenty of excitement and nail-biting moments, has been dominated by children of Indian origin, who comprise just about one per cent of the total US population. If the 14-year-old Harini Logan from Texas was crowned champion in 2022 (her final winning word was ‘moorhen’—a female red grouse), this year it was the turn of Dev Shah from Florida to win the contest with the word ‘psammophile’ (a plant or an animal that thrives in sand). In research exploring the amazing success rate of Indian-American students at the Spelling Bee, it has been revealed that exceptional quality of memorization and networks give these students an edge over others. It is completely normal in an Indian-American household to see kids know not one but multiple dictionaries by heart, astoundingly by the age of 12.

Ranganathan Sivakumar,

(siva19kumar@gmail.com.)

Worldwide Web Day

Worldwide Web Day is a global celebration dedicated to web browsing, the online activity that brings the whole world to your fingertips and places a wealth of knowledge at your feet. It is celebrated on August 1 every year. Most people rely on the World Wide Web to find out information and carry out tasks online every day. It is integral to a lot of jobs as well. Therefore, it is only right that we have a day to honour the Worldwide Web, and that is what Worldwide Web Day is all about.

Jubel D'Cruz,

(jubeldcruz@yahoo.com.)