Strategic tune
Sir — Korean-pop’s expansion in India reflects strategic calculation. India offers a wide base of young listeners and rising digital engagement. Indian popular music, however, is rooted in linguistic diversity, regional loyalty, and long-established musical lineages. These conditions complicate sustaining mass popularity. Even so, foreign competition often produces positive spillovers. Improved training regimes, stronger investment, and professional management could raise standards across the pop ecosystem. K-pop’s presence could encourage experimentation and a broader conversation about how pop is made and marketed.
C.M. Nandi,
Calcutta
Political pollution
Sir — Delhi’s winter air crisis has become a ritual of denial and distraction (“Capital punishment”, Dec 21). The image of a chief minister attending a celebrity event while spectators chant about the air quality index captured public anger with precision. Photo opportunities cannot be a substitute for policy. Delhi is governed by the same party at municipal, state, and Central levels, which removes the usual excuses about coordination failures. This concentration of power demands accountability. Water sprinklers and symbolic construction bans are cosmetic measures. Residents need sustained regulation of vehicles, construction dust, and industrial emissions.
Sourav Ash,
Calcutta
Sir — Mukul Kesavan’s comparison of the situation in Delhi with London’s Great Smog was instructive. Britain responded to the catastrophe with legislation, enforcement, and political will. The Clean Air Act did not rely on appeals to personal responsibility or seasonal emergency fixes. It imposed structural change on fuel use and industry. Delhi’s pollution is not mysterious or unprecedented. The sources are well documented and the remedies are known. What is missing is resolve. Governments earn credibility through outcomes, not press briefings. Delhi requires strict laws, even more stringent regulation of polluting activities, and compliance with ameliorative measures rather than temporary steps timed to assuage public outrage.
S.C. Agarwal,
New Delhi
Sir — Beijing’s turnaround after the sorry situation of its air quality 2013 shows what determined State action can achieve. The Chinese government treated air quality as a political priority linked to public legitimacy. Polluting industries were relocated, coal was reduced, vehicles were electrified, and farming practices were altered. These were disruptive decisions that imposed costs on powerful interests. Delhi has announced similar policies for years without execution. The result is paralysis. Cleaner air in Beijing was not accidental or cosmetic. It followed consistent enforcement. Delhi’s failure reflects political choices rather than administrative impossibility.
Rakesh Sondhi,
New Delhi
Sir — International summits often expose governing priorities. Beijing used the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit to catalyse lasting environmental reform. Delhi used the G20 Summit to beautify select corridors. Residents gained hoardings and cut-outs rather than breathable air. Urban governance cannot be reduced to event management. Pollution affects health, productivity, and dignity every day. Temporary improvements for visiting delegates do not count as reform. A capital city should protect its population first.
Mridul Verma,
New Delhi
Sir — Delhi’s history undermines claims of helplessness. The switch to compressed natural gas in public transport after a Supreme Court order was difficult but effective. It required coordination across governments run by rival parties. Yet, it succeeded and air quality improved measurably. That achievement occurred without slogans about multi-engine governance. Present failures therefore appear political rather than technical. Capacity exists when regulation inconveniences no powerful lobbies. Serious pollution control demands restrictions on construction, transport, and fuel. Avoidance of these measures signals unwillingness to confront entrenched economic interests.
Gregory Fernandes,
Mumbai
Continuity broken
Sir — The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act earned international credibility because it functioned as a non-partisan welfare measure. Congress leaders emphasise this legacy with reason. During the pandemic, the programme absorbed economic shock when migration and informal work collapsed. Any reform should begin with that evidence. Altering structure without acknowledging past performance appears dismissive. Livelihood schemes require stability to build trust among workers and administrators. Frequent redesigns driven by political rebranding risk undermining outcomes.
S.G. Kangutkar,
Thane
Sir — The Congress’s decision to foreground rural livelihoods is pragmatic reading of India’s political terrain. Issues of income and employment cut across regional interests.
Abhijit Roy,
Calcutta