Letters to The Editor — July 11, 2025
There are incidents in India, of late, of bridges collapsing even as they are being built. But the collapse of a portion of a 40-year-old bridge in Vadodara needs closer inspection. The reason for the collapse is not far to seek. For several decades, trucks have had four wheels at the rear and two in front. Such trucks with a total of six wheels are now obsolete. The bridge was probably one of many constructed with these trucks in mind. But now a number of trucks have 10 wheels to carry double the cargo, thus exponentially increasing the weight of the trucks. When such countless and slow-moving loaded trucks cross such bridges, the durability of the bridges comes into focus. In future, it must be ensured that bridges are constructed keeping this factor in mind (Page 1, July 10).
V. Lakshmanan,
Tirupur, Tamil Nadu
This is not an isolated incident but a growing symptom of a nationwide epidemic: ageing infrastructure, shoddy repair work, and officials asleep at the wheel. Bridges are not supposed to tremble under traffic. They are supposed to stand strong. Yet, time and again, weak design, poor oversight and sheer apathy turn them into traps. Our infrastructure is not the only thing crumbling. So is our governance. And people are paying for this with their lives.
K. Chidanand Kumar,
Bengaluru
End the wars
As a peace-loving citizen, a nonagenarian and as one who has lived through both the First and Second World Wars, I find it distressing that the Russia-Ukraine war and the Palestine-Israel conflict are leaving a trail of suffering. It would be my earnest and humble plea to the United Nations to earnestly get these warring nations to sit together and make a sincere attempt to usher in peace.
Mani Nataraajan,
Chennai
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The decision followed a fiery statement by Dmitry Medvedev, who warned of worsening conflict and invoked Cold War-era nuclear rhetoric, referencing Russia's 'Dead Hand' automatic retaliation system—an ominous legacy from Soviet times designed to launch nuclear weapons even if leadership is destroyed. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category others Operations Management Technology Management Data Analytics Leadership Digital Marketing Data Science Product Management Finance Healthcare Project Management PGDM Public Policy Data Science MCA Design Thinking Artificial Intelligence MBA healthcare Others CXO Cybersecurity Degree Skills you'll gain: Duration: 16 Weeks Indian School of Business CERT - ISB Cybersecurity for Leaders Program India Starts on undefined Get Details Trump's post read: 'Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, including threats involving nuclear weapons and the Dead Hand system, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in strategic locations—just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.' This marked one of the rare moments in modern history where the location of U.S. nuclear assets—typically classified—was referenced publicly by a sitting president. Why Trump's move is making headlines around the world What makes this announcement particularly shocking is not just its timing but also its method of communication and its strategic implications. Military experts, nuclear watchdogs, and diplomatic analysts all agree: U.S. nuclear submarine movements are never disclosed publicly for security and deterrence reasons. By confirming such a repositioning, even vaguely, Trump broke with decades of silent doctrine. Live Events Additionally, the escalation comes at a time when tensions in Eastern Europe are boiling over, with Ukraine fighting to hold off renewed Russian advances near Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia. Trump's warning was widely seen as a way to assert American military dominance and issue a direct warning to the Kremlin. What Medvedev said that triggered Trump's nuclear response Trump's nuclear posture was triggered by an explosive online tirade from Dmitry Medvedev, who dismissed Trump's recent 10-day ultimatum to Russia as "childish," while warning that 'the next phase of this war could go nuclear.' He doubled down by invoking Russia's Cold War-era "Dead Hand" system—an automatic launch mechanism that activates nuclear missiles if Russian leadership is incapacitated in a first strike. In his statements, Medvedev called the United States 'arrogant and delusional,' and accused Trump of 'fantasy politics,' further escalating the diplomatic clash. The Kremlin has not officially endorsed Medvedev's remarks, but analysts believe his comments often reflect deeper currents in Moscow's security and defense circles. 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