Historic blunder
Sir — There was a time when history was said to be written by the victor. These days, anyone with access to a camera and a microphone seems to be rewriting history. Usually, Bharatiya Janata Party members are know for historical gaffes — a minister called Raja Ram Mohan Roy a “British agent”, for instance. However, the latest faux pas came from the Trinamool Congress member of Parliament, Mahua Moitra. She said the only Gujarati name in the list of luminaries who led the freedom struggle was that of V.D. Savarkar, suggesting a lack of revolutionary zeal from the region. Clearly, Moitra is as much in need of history lessons as those from the saffron party. Perhaps she should start by looking at the Gujarati who championed non-violence as a means of liberation.
Riya Singh,
Hooghly
A tragedy
Sir — Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, a popular Bengali actor, died on March 29 while trying to save his co-actor who had fallen into a depression at the Talsari beach in Odisha (“Actor Rahul dies during sea shoot”, Mar 30). He is survived by his wife, Priyanka Sarkar, and their 13-year-old son, Shohoj, who inspired his popular podcast, Shohoj Kotha. While early reports suspected a heart attack, the post-mortem confirmed death by drowning, noting that his lungs were filled with sand and water. Police have registered a case of unnatural death and are investigating the matter. The production unit allegedly did not take police permission of safety precautions for a coastal shoot.
Khokan Das,
Calcutta
Sir — The death of 43-year-old Rahul Arunoday Banerjee is deeply saddening and shocking. A veteran of the Bengali film and television industry, Banerjee began his career in theatre at the age of three. Before his cinematic success, he performed in hundreds of stage shows and appeared in the Mithun Chakraborty-starrer, Chaka, at the age of 17.
S.S. Paul,
Nadia
Sir — Rahul Arunoday Banerjee’s sudden death by drowning has revealed safety lapses in the Bengali entertainment industry. Reports indicate that no police permission was taken for the beach shoot, nor was the local police station informed. What is worse, no safety protocol was apparently followed, and an emergency medical team was not on standby despite the high-risk maritime environment. While the exact chain of events remains unclear amidst conflicting versions on social media, the film industry must learn a serious lesson from this mishap. Steps must be taken to ensure that such a tragedy never comes to pass again.
Deba Prasad Banerjee,
Calcutta
Sir — The Bengali film and television industry is mourning the untimely and accidental death of the actor, writer, and podcast host, Rahul Arunoday Banerjee. The actor rose to stardom after his 2008 film, Chirodini Tumi Je Amar. Banerjee left a significant mark with his roles in films like Meghe Dhaka Tara and Jackpot. His passing leaves a void in the industry, marking the end of a career that spanned film, television and stage.
Pratima Manimala,
Howrah
Unsteady hands
Sir — Washington is undermining its diplomatic credibility by oscillating between threats and conciliatory remarks towards Iran (“Man of war”, Mar 31). Peace efforts require consistency and trust. The shifting rhetoric of the president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, erodes confidence and weakens the hands of regional mediators. This volatility risks reducing negotiations to mere optics. The deployment of US Marines and the strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities reinforce Tehran’s suspicion that the talks mask escalation. Sustainable diplomacy demands steadiness. Without it, pronounced anti-war sentiments in the US may eventually compel restraint abroad.
K. Chidanand Kumar,
Bengaluru
Eclipsed media
Sir — The article, “Real
war on reels” (Mar 30), reveals how alternative
media and Artificial Intelligence-generated war imagery have eclipsed war coverage by traditional media in the United States of America. The US president, Donald Trump, a self-styled peacemaker, accuses reporters of vending fake news and being unpatriotic. Government functionaries have no qualms about calling journalists “left-wing hacks”. The removal of reporters from the Pentagon, along with many other attacks on the media has ensured that it is no longer a safety valve for democracy.
Salil Karmakar,
Barrackpore
Stop walking
Sir — The 2026 India-EU Free Trade Agreement is set to significantly reduce import duties on luxury European cars. Moreover, the Union budget’s focus on automobile infrastructure disproportionately impacts pedestrians, who already face risks from shrinking public spaces and inadequate safety infrastructure (“Risky path”, Mar 31). With over 35,000 annual pedestrian fatalities in India, this development highlights a systemic neglect of walking, which is an environmentally friendly, culturally significant form of mobility.
Vijay Singh Adhikari,
Nainital
Youth at risk
Sir — The younger generation should be made aware of digital monetary transactions so that they do not fall prey to fraud. Children need to be taught to avoid using unknown payment apps and clicking on suspicious payment links. Fraud often occurs through messages or emails that appear genuine. These messages may contain links that look real but are actually fake. One way of identifying such fraud is by checking the sender’s details carefully. Genuine companies use recognisable domains, while fraudulent ones often have irregularities.
Parnika Kamthan,
Ranchi