Choose freedom
Sir — An article in Vogue asking whether having a boyfriend is now embarrassing has received an overwhelming response in the affirmative from women. This captures a strange, modern irony. Women were once expected to treat finding a man as the cornerstone of their lives. Now many view relationships with them as unpaid internships. The growing disinterest is not a rejection of love but a quiet refusal to tolerate mediocrity. Emotional labour without reciprocity is exhausting, and it seems women are finally done with it. The embarrassment at having a boyfriend comes from realising that many partnerships resemble caretaking more than companionship. If the choice lies between solitude and parenting an adult partner, the answer appears obvious.
Bidisha Das,
Durgapur
Blind spot
Sir — It is regrettable that the world remains largely oblivious to the renewed genocide in Sudan. Thousands of people have reportedly been massacred by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces after it took control of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. The United Nations has confirmed that more than 460 people, including
patients and their companions, were reportedly killed at the Saudi Maternity Hospital in El-Fasher. Human lives have no value for the RSF. Why is the world not as outraged as it was by what was happening in Gaza? The silence of the UN member countries on Sudan is inexplicable.
Kunal Kanti Konar,
Calcutta
Sir — I used to think that the United Nations Security Council and the International Court of Justice had the authority to resolve global issues and civil wars. However, these institutions have no power. Their orders are not binding in any way. This is why they fail to alleviate the troubles of people like those in Gaza and Sudan.
Jang Bahadur Singh,
Jamshedpur
Core idea
Sir — By placing consent at the core of its rape law, France has reaffirmed a fundamental truth: the absence of a ‘yes’ is in itself a ‘no’ (“No means no”, Nov 5). India, however, continues to tether definitions of rape to the use of force and physical resistance to it, revealing a deeply regressive mindset. The marital rape exemption in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita is also a glaring injustice. It denies women the right to their own bodies. Consent is not a marital clause or cultural courtesy; it is a universal right. India must reform its laws to reflect that in every relationship, no means no, without any exceptions for anyone.
K. Chidanand Kumar,
Bengaluru
Note the change
Sir — The article, “Offence & outrage” (Nov 3), by Sukanta Chaudhuri highlighted the fact that in spite of a recent surge in crimes against women in Bengal’s hospitals, there seems to be no public anger of the kind that followed the rape and the murder of a doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital last year. This is perhaps due to the disillusionment after the failure of last year’s movement. It is also concerning that during Mamata Banerjee’s tenure as chief minister, there has been a pattern of dismissing or trivialising crimes against women. This is often coupled with attempts to protect the perpetrators, at times with links to the ruling party, or to cover up such incidents.
Kiran Agarwal,
Calcutta
Age no bar
Sir — Rohan Bopanna is undeniably one of the greatest male tennis players in India (“Two decades on, Bopanna calls time on career”, Nov 2). His retirement will leave a great void in Indian tennis. Bopanna has cited age — he is 45 years old — as the primary reason for his retirement. His career is a perfect example of perseverance. He attained the world No. 1 ranking after winning his first major men’s doubles title at the 2024 Australian Open with Matthew Ebden, becoming the oldest first-time No. 1 at the age of 43..
Jayanta Datta,
Hooghly
Sir — Age really is just a number for Rohan Bopanna, who won his maiden men’s doubles Grand Slam title in 2024 to become the oldest in the open era to do so. At an age when many of his contemporaries had retired, he was redefining athleticism, determination and perseverance. His achievement put him in the elite bracket of Martina Navratilova and Leander Paes who played professional tennis even after turning 40. Bopanna is a true role model for thousands of young kids in the country. Hopefully, India will find his successor soon from the tennis academies
in the country.
Bal Govind,
Noida
Sir — Senior players should realise when their time on the field is up and find a dignified way to step aside as Rohan Bopanna has done.
C.K. Subramaniam,
Navi Mumbai
Another milestone
Sir — The successful launch of the navy’s advanced communication satellite, GSAT-7R, marks another milestone for the Indian Space Research Organisation in its quest for self-reliance in space technology (“‘Bahubali’ booster for ISRO satellite”, Nov 3). This is the first time that ISRO has placed a communication satellite weighing over 4,000 kilogramme into a distant geosynchronous transfer orbit from Indian soil. So far, it had to rely on private space agencies from other countries for the launch of its heavier satellites. The focus of ISRO remains the Gaganyaan mission, which will eventually include crewed missions to space. ISRO is relying on its core strength of thinking big and smart.
Khokan Das,
Calcutta
Sir — The launch of the GSAT-7R is yet another milestone for ISRO. This bodes well for future projects like the proposed manned space mission. One wishes the scientists at ISRO all the best.
K.R. Gagan,
Tumkur, Karnataka