Whistleblowers have always displayed the courage of conviction
and prioritisation of the public good with least concern for
personal safety (“Take a bow, Edward Snowden,” June 14). They
are no doubt heroes who richly deserve recognition. Our failure
to respect their invaluable service to humanity will lead to the
extinction of the rare species of whistleblowers.  M.V.
Nagavender Rao,   The U.S. government’s stand on its
surveillance of phone and internet records shows how governments
have been using the excuse of “greater public good” to subvert
civil liberties and individual privacy. That many Americans do
not view the covert operations as a threat is indeed startling.
A lesson or two must be drawn from the episode. People may not
necessarily be mindful of the importance of civil liberties and
privacy in building a developed society. Awareness should be
built through a variety of campaigns and academic discourse.
Kartik Krovvidi,   As pointed out in the editorial, the
courageous deeds of a few individuals