War and reflections
The images of war in Ukraine — some of them are searing — make us aware of the destructive power of modern weapons and the horrors of war.
Missiles slicing through the air and slamming into buildings and exploding, clouds of smoke emanating from rows of buildings, housing complexes flattened by explosions, convoys of tanks, people taking shelter in subway stations and underground bunkers, the flight of residents/refugees, crowds struggling to board trains and distraught children are the images from Ukraine that give us a sense of the terrible human cost of the war.
It is a war that shows the failure of nation-states to live together, to co-exist peacefully; the failure to put our common humanity above nationalism and national sovereignty. While we must take a balanced view of the two sides of the conflict and appreciate legitimate concerns over national security, the personal vanities and expansionist designs of leaders sometimes explain provocations being matched with overreactions.
War is predicated on the principle that ‘might is right’. Power is defined and measured in terms of military strength of nations. What poses an existential threat to the human race is that it has enough weapons to annihilate itself. A nuclear war means the whole of civilisation vanishing. The choice between war and peace will decide whether we become extinct or continue to survive as a species .
G. David Milton,
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
With Russia clearly stating the conditions required to be fulfilled to end the war, which includes the demilitarisation of Ukraine, India can play the most important role. New Delhi can ask Ukraine to join a non-aligned formation which would have the potential to ease the tensions. Russia’s fear was more about NATO forces in Ukraine. Such a move would also help Russia and Ukraine to be in a better frame of mind while at the peace table.
Ratnaraj Jain,
Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh
The urgent advisories by the Indian missions in the war zone are testimony to the grim situation. Though it is a welcome sign that most Indian nationals appear to be out of the danger zones, one cannot forget that there are still others who face deep trauma.
In the end, there are many of us who wish that Russia changes its recalcitrant stance. War is never a solution. But will Russia rise to the occasion?
Mani Natarajan,
Coonoor, The Nilgiris
Relevance of NEET
It is preposterous to connect the plight of the stranded Indian medical students in Ukraine with NEET (Inside pages, “Medical student’s death in Ukraine triggers growing opposition to NEET in Karnataka”, March 3). The field of medicine requires only academically excellent candidates as students — it is obvious that patients’ lives cannot be in peril. When the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is a common entrance test, merit alone is rightly the criterion. There is no point in diluting or compromising the rigour of the rule. This factor places medical practice on a different footing. It is crystal clear that average students have had no other option except studying medicine in foreign countries.
V. Lakshmanan,
Tirupur, Tamil Nadu
Governor’s role
It is quite right to say that gubernatorial posts are like relics of the past and treated as such. Presently, they do not have any executive powers but for signing on the dotted line on the papers sent. They are largely ornamental but being used by the government of the day to ensure that their line of thinking is toed. And for this to happen, it is but natural to have in place yes men. This is what has been happening for decades. And there seems to be no end to this situation in the near future.
K. Nehru Patnaik,
Visakhapatnam
