Readers’ comments: Events in Afghanistan demonstrate what religious extremism can do to a society

The unfolding events in Afghanistan are just another example of what religious extremism and senseless blind faith can do to humanity. – Ranganathan Sahasranaman

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Afghanistan’s economic collapse is an inevitable consequence of the country’s decades of civil war the Taliban takeover (Afghanistan is on the verge of economic collapse – and Pakistan should be ready for the fallout). Being a close neighbour of Afghanistan and an ally of the Taliban, Pakistan will have to bear the brunt of the refugee crisis. Running a country will not be an easy task for the Taliban. With the international community closely watching its oppressive moves against Afghan nationals, it is going to be a rough ride for the group. Perhaps, it is time for the group to introspect the mess it has created and what it is going to achieve out of this. – Ramana Gove

Festival alert

With the upcoming festival season, I wish to upstage your attention to the unfinished battle against Covid-19. The cases are rising in the states of Kerala and Maharashtra yet again, which is a matter of great concern. Therefore, it becomes imperative for us to discourage social gatherings. Taking the necessary precautions such as sanitisation and wearing masks is extremely important. If we are mindful of our activities, we will be able to prevent the virus from mutating and we will be able to avoid the third wave. – Avani Khare

Mental health

The Covid-19 pandemic has hit everyone hard, especially the student community. Schools are their shrines of learning and character development. However, this process is now hindered as they have no physical communication and scope of learning social skills. Schools must take the initiative to ensure the good mental health of their students. They can hire counsellors or conduct workshops to keep them engaged in new activities. At the least they can make sure students talk to their class teachers as and when required. – Kashvi N

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Concerns about mental health have significantly risen during the Covid-19 pandemic. Globally, mental health is being challenged like never before. It is pivotal that these challenges need to be tackled in a novel way in order to restore the wellbeing of an entire generation and thus, ensure a stronger future for them. Mental health across most countries had been neglected before Covid-19. But now, there seems to be a surge in demand for facilities devoted to it. Hence, it is essential that every government and health organisation prioritise and equip themselves with programmes devoted to mental health across all age groups in order to avoid a crisis situation. – Devashree

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The Covid-19 pandemic brought many changes to our life – one of them being the transition to online learning. For those who can access it, e-learning could be more time-efficient and may allow students to make use of resources that are physically located elsewhere. However, students’ morale and motivation have taken a hit due to the same. Psychologists say 70% of students have required counselling and cognitive therapy to divert their minds from negative thinking and to cope with the present situation. Providing mental health facilities and seeking professional help must be encouraged in such times. – Niveditha Menon

Dismantling global Hindutva

The title of the “Dismantling Global Hindutva Conference” event needs a careful examination (Opinion: Why the Dismantling Global Hindutva Conference is not ‘Hindu-phobic’). The first word in the title “dismantling” means to destroy. Once you apply this word to any faith like Hinduism or Hindutva, it raises feelings of anger and disgust. Would you apply this word to other faiths? The second word is “global”, and it means relating to the whole world. Since Hindutva is not a worldwide phenomenon, the title is redundant. – Suhnu Ram Sharma

Independence of judiciary

It is now clear, beyond any doubt, that there is a big invisible power behind collegium that dictates the selection process of judges in India (‘Why have collegium at all?’: What Kureshi’s rejection says about SC independence in the Modi era). – Subas Chandran