Letters to The Editor — March 19, 2026

Kabul bombing

Pakistan’s action of bombing a hospital in Afghanistan is an inhuman act (Front page, March 18). Whatever may be the reasons, an attack on a hospital is indefensible. It is against the cannons of international law and even the rules of war to target and attack civilians in any conflict, especially sick patients under treatment. Pakistan, which has been training and harbouring terrorists on its soil and indulging in cross-border terrorism against India for long, appears to be at the receiving end on its western border. Comparatively, India has been very patient and tolerant towards Pakistan all these years. It is to be hoped that Pakistan would at least now realise the folly of creating, nurturing and harbouring terrorists and desist from such nefarious actions in future.

Kosaraju Chandramouli,

Hyderabad

Resignation over Iran war

The resignation of Joe Kent, the U.S.’s top counterterrorism official, in protest against the justification for American strikes on Iran, delivers a hard slap on the face to President Donald Trump and is an unexpected setback to his expansionist agenda.

Mr. Kent’s statement that Iran posed no immediate threat to the United States and that the U.S. started the war due to the pressure exerted by Israel and its powerful lobby in America, is a bold, categorical and candid articulation of the factual and bitter reality that is prevalent at the ground level. It is an undisputed reality that relentless war mongering and military interventions culminating in military attacks have seen an unprecedented escalation in different parts of the world ever since Donald Trump returned to the White House. With the NATO allies giving the U.S. the cold shoulder, Mr. Trump stands exposed and isolated. Israel has been a co-offender too, in inflicting unwanted wars.

B. Suresh Kumar,

Coimbatore

AI and finance industry

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the finance industry, offering both significant opportunities and notable challenges. AI enhances operational efficiency by improving decision-making, credit scoring, and portfolio management, while also strengthening risk management through faster, more accurate fraud detection. Customer experiences are increasingly personalised with chatbots and AI-driven insights. However, automation may displace repetitive jobs even as it creates new high-skilled roles, and ethical concerns along with cyber risks require robust governance. Financial institutions must balance innovation with responsibility, invest in workforce reskilling, and prioritise transparency to ensure sustainable growth and equitable opportunities.

Senthilkumar Govindarajalu,

New Jersey, U.S.