India needs self-reliance in rare earth elements

Refer to ‘Geopolitical stakes rise over rare earth control’; the article underscores the strategic value of 17 rare earth elements (REEs), which are vital for technologies like EV motors, smartphones, missiles and MRI scanners. However, China’s grip on over 90 per cent of these resources compels nations to trade on its terms, fuelling trade deficits. Moreover, environmental damage caused due to mining and processing of REEs, as seen in Inner Mongolia’s sludge lakes and displaced communities, calls for cleaner methods and safer alternatives like nanotechnology. Though India holds the fifth-largest reserves, its output remains minimal. India must liberalise mining, attract private investment and build eco-friendly facilities to reduce imports and boost self-reliance.

Chanchal S Mann, Una

Strained Indo-Canada relations

Apropos of ‘Canada’s G7 snub’; when Mark Carney replaced Justin Trudeau as PM, it was viewed as an opportunity for resetting bilateral ties, but the situation has turned worse. Canada’s decision to exclude India from the G7 summit highlights the increasingly cold relationship with a once-friendly nation. This marks a significant departure from the past. Given India’s rising global stature, the absence of an invite to a high-level international summit raises questions about our foreign policy. In this era defined by shifting geopolitical dynamics, partnerships are essential, not only for trade diversification but also for broader strategic cooperation.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath, Kapurthala

Failing diplomacy

Canada not inviting India to the G7 summit is an insult to the world’s biggest democracy. It was in the backdrop of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing that Canada started looking the other way. In the recent conflict with Pakistan, even our neighbours like Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar did not support us. Diplomacy is the art of fishing peacefully in troubled waters, but we seem to have failed miserably.

BM Singh, Amritsar

Utter lack of planning

Refer to ‘RCB victory celebrations turn tragic, 11 killed, 30 hurt in B’luru stampede’; the tragic incident outside Chinnaswamy Stadium is both heartbreaking and infuriating. What should have been a moment of pride and jubilation for the city turned into a disaster due to sheer negligence and lack of planning. Announcing free passes without a clear distribution mechanism was an irresponsible act. The closure of all stadium gates while crowds continued to surge only worsened the situation. Resorting to lathicharge caused further deterioration in crowd management. This tragedy underscores the urgent need for better coordination between civic authorities, law enforcement agencies and organisers.

Vandana, Chandigarh

Lessons never learnt

The tragic death of 11 cricket fans during the felicitation function for IPL champions RCB has again exposed poor crowd management. Lakhs had gathered to celebrate the team’s success. The massive turnout was not only expected but obvious, given the passion RCB fans have for their team. Yet, the authorities failed to prepare adequately keeping in mind the scale of the celebrations. The event was announced abruptly, giving little time to the authorities to plan. This resulted in chaos and a stampede. Accountability must be fixed for this avoidable tragedy.

SS Paul, Nadia

Human life is cheap in India

India never seems to learn lessons. We have seen stampedes at Hathras, Maha Kumbh, Shirdi and the Delhi railway station, but learnt nothing regarding proactive steps on crowd management. As a result, precious human lives continue to be lost. In the case of Bengaluru, there seems to be a total lack of coordination between overzealous organisers, administration and the local police. None could foresee how the stadium with a capacity of 35,000 people could accommodate 2-3 lakh spectators. Human life is cheap in India.

Yash Khetarpal, Panchkula

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