Distance learning
Sir — Distance from a relationship is often needed to assess its importance. This happened with Tetsu Yamada from Japan, who wanted a break from the bustling area of Tokyo and suggested to his wife that they move back to his rural hometown after his retirement. His wife, however, refused to move and proposed sotsukon, a ‘marriage graduation’, which would allow them to live apart while staying married. While this arrangement worked in the wife’s favour as she enjoyed her life in Tokyo, Yamada, being left to his own devices, struggled to adjust to rural life, living on instant noodles and frozen vegetables. While most married men crave that unburdened second life post-retirement, they hardly ever graduate into becoming independent men to lead such a life.
Simantini Rai,
Delhi
Grave doubts
Sir — If the Aadhaar card and the EPIC are not being considered legitimate documents of proof of citizenship, then the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre led by Narendra Modi, too, fails the legitimacy test as it was elected for three successive terms by voters using these two documents (“Dystopian realities”, Aug 17). It was highly amusing to hear the prime minister blame “infiltrators” for all the troubles in India during his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort. It seemed like a blatant attempt to hide the failures of his government.
No praise is enough for Mukul Kesavan for concluding his column with the statement, “When the language of the national anthem played at the Red Fort is stigmatised as a sign of illegality, it’s time for citizens to call the State to account.” It must be considered a wake-up call for all Indians to vehemently raise their voices against injustice.
Kajal Chatterjee,
Calcutta
Sir — No other political force has dented the image of Hindus as much as the current regime. In recent times, there have been reports of atrocities against Hindus living in foreign countries, which were the result of India’s toxic domestic political culture and the State-sponsored hatred against and the persecution of religious minorities.
Nibedita Das,
North 24 Parganas
Sir — The arrogance with which the Central government and the Election Commission of India are functioning is deplorable. The removal of over six million voters from the draft electoral roll in Bihar following the Special Intensive Revision is a joke on democratic functioning. If this is allowed to continue, large-scale doubts will crop up about the credibility of democratic institutions in India and the country’s standing as an electoral democracy.
Fateh Najamuddin,
Lucknow
Sir — By ordering the EC to publish the names of 65 lakh voters who have been excluded from Bihar’s electoral list following the SIR, the Supreme Court has made a much-needed intervention. The court urging the EC to allow the excluded voters to file objections with their Aadhaar cards is doubly laudable. The question thus arises: has the ongoing SIR become an albatross around the poll body’s neck?
Haridasan Rajan,
Kozhikode
Iron hand
Sir — The launch of the trailer of The Bengal Files, which is directed by Vivek Agnihotri and depicts the communal riots which rocked Calcutta in 1946, was abruptly halted by the police in Calcutta on the grounds that the director did not have the required permission (“The Bengal Files trailer halt ignites row over permit”, Aug 17).
The police would not have been able to take such a drastic step without the tacit approval of the ruling Trinamool Congress. This is not the first time that the state government has suppressed freedom of speech. Previously, it had banned Anik Dutta’s political satire, Bhobishyoter Bhoot, which was dropped from the city’s theatres a day after release without any official explanation.
Jahar Saha,
Calcutta
Sir — Was not the abrupt halting of the trailer launch of The Bengal Files by the Mamata Banerjee government an instance of dictatorship? It is a matter of shame for the state, which is the land of pioneers like
Satyajit Ray.
Birkha Khadka Duvarseli,
Siliguri
Sir — Even though The Bengal Files has been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification, the launch of the film was stopped in Calcutta by the state police on flimsy grounds, like the failure to obtain permission from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. This is indicative of the government’s interference in personal liberties.
Arun Kumar Baksi,
Calcutta
Fragile hills
Sir — Days after flash floods washed away a village in Uttarkashi, leaving many dead and missing, two fresh cloudbursts occurred in Jammu and Kashmir (“Dark flood”, Aug 18). Extreme climatic events have hit large areas of the Himalayan region in the last few days. The Himalayan ecology has suffered from excessive developmental activity. Unfortunately, the knowledge of the precarious nature of the Himalayan ecosystem has not translated into policies and climate action.
Khokan Das,
Calcutta
Modern architect
Sir — Bob Simpson, the legendary Australian cricket captain and coach, passed away at the age of 89 (“’Sergeant major’ who shaped one of Australia’s great eras”, Aug 17). Simpson was a pivotal figure in rescuing Australian cricket from a dark era and transforming the team into a dominant force in world cricket during the 1990s. Renowned as an opening batter, fielder, spinner, and coach, Simpson excelled in all departments of the game.
Ranganathan Sivakumar,
Chennai