Letters to The Editor — February 23, 2026

Court versus Trump

The Supreme Court of the U.S. rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs is a reflection of how elected governments take laws for granted. It is time that Mr. Trump respects federal laws and behaves like a President of the American people, not as a sole leader of the world.

Prabhu Raj R.,

Bengaluru

The Nilgiris under siege

The sweeping land changes in the Nilgiris (Tamil Nadu, “Hollowing out the hills”, February 22, 2026) highlight not merely an environmental story but also one of governance failure hiding in plain sight. Estates are now vanishing with builders exploiting regulatory loopholes. When recharge areas are paved over and shola patches replaced by concrete, the downstream consequences for Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Erode are not speculative but inevitable. The solution demands more than satellite monitoring or belated notices. A meaningful Minimum Support Price for tea, strict enforcement of the Tamil Nadu Land Reforms Act, and community-level awareness can avert small tea estate distress sales. The Blue Mountains cannot afford to wait for the Madras High Court to act alone.

K. Chidanand Kumar,

Bengaluru