Taste matters
Sir — Oliver Twist’s request for an extra helping of gruel might have gone unheard but the Kerala government has not turned a deaf ear to the request of the three-year-old Shanku who asked for biryani and chicken fry for his mid-day meal. The government’s empathetic response offers a striking contrast to other states curbing mid-day meal items like eggs despite persistent malnutrition. But it also makes a case to reimagine nutrition. Nutritious meals offered at schools cannot be imagined only in terms of fulfilling the State’s responsibility of keeping children fed. Relishing a meal is as important as nourishment.
Srinjoy Pal,
Calcutta
Petty politics
Sir — What began as a bromance between a billionaire and a business magnate has devolved into a digital duel of operatic proportions (“One big, beautiful breakup: Trump, Musk ties crumble”, June 7). The squabble over bills and bruised egos between the president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, and the billionaire and former presidential appointee, Elon Musk, has turned governance into a season of reality television. The exchange would be amusing if it was not so emblematic of the chaos that results when personal theatrics overshadow public duty. Perhaps both men should consider a sabbatical — one to Mars, the other to Mar-a-Lago. The electorate has been left wondering when the adults will return to the room.
Yugal Kishore Sharma,
Faridabad
Sir — The Trump-Musk feud reveals the fragility of policy shaped by personality rather than principle. That major legislation and federal contracts can pivot on a social media spat is deeply troubling. The alliance, once touted as a bold new model of leadership, has unravelled into pettiness and threats. With Elon Musk controlling major technological infrastructure and Donald Trump wielding executive power, their fight risks consequences beyond the political stage. Governance ought not to be contingent on friendship, flattery or face-saving. Public welfare deserves better.
Anandambal Subbu,
Bengaluru
Sir — It was only a matter of time before the bromance broke down. Elon Musk and Donald Trump have traded praise for petulance. The world’s richest man and its most theatrical president are now in a spat worthy of a school playground. Federal contracts hang in the balance. So does a certain golden key. For those keeping score: Musk has rockets, Trump has Truth Social, and both have access to far too many microphones. Perhaps the only winners here are those watching the fallout for sport — or satire.
D.P. Bhattacharya,
Calcutta
Sir — The disintegration of the Trump-Musk alliance highlights the instability inherent in governance models that are overly reliant on individual charisma and private capital. Their partnership blurred lines between corporate influence and public accountability, culminating in policy shaped by personal allegiance rather than institutional processes. The resulting fallout exposes the risks of informal power networks operating outside standard democratic frameworks. If leadership is reduced to loyalty tests and retaliatory tweets, long-term governance and public trust are bound to suffer. This saga must prompt a reassessment of billionaire politics and its implications for democratic integrity.
Raktim Das,
Calcutta
Sir — Anyone bearing witness to the battle royale between Donald Trump and Elon Musk is bound to have come across the line, “The girls are fighting,” on social media. It is ironical that even while watching two proponents of patriarchy devolve into a petty fight, people are making sexist comments like this. We should call a spade a spade: it is two grown men fighting, not girls.
Yashodhara Sen,
Calcutta