Rat race
Sir — Competition has become a prominent aspect of human experiences. Tellingly, a bizarre contest is set to be organised at the end of this month. Los Angeles will be hosting the first-ever live sperm race, which will pit sperm samples against one another on a carefully designed microscopic racetrack that mimics the female reproductive system. As much as it seems like a macho fantasy, the idea behind the race is to raise awareness about the global decline in male fertility. However, one wonders whether the design of an Olympic sperm race reinforces the idea of competition among humans even before birth.
Manisha Dey,
Delhi
Forced unity
Sir — The newly-stitched alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could lead to an electoral polarisation, narrowing the field for fence-sitters in Tamil Nadu which would now have to choose between the two national fronts, INDIA and the National Democratic Alliance (“Friends again”, April 16). The increasing national visibility of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, with its leader, M.K. Stalin, attacking the Centre’s three-language policy and the proposed delimitation exercise, has put the BJP in great discomfort.
To dispel the perception that the BJP is exploiting a weakened AIADMK, Amit Shah, the Union home minister, made it clear that the BJP-AIADMK alliance would fight the elections under E.K. Palaniswami’s leadership. Although the coalition is sewn up, the NDA could still face challenges with seat-sharing.
S.S. Paul,
Nadia
Sir — The BJP does not have a good standing among the people of Tamil Nadu. The Centre denied crucial aid to Tamil Nadu after the DMK refused to implement the National Education Policy, a tool to impose Hindi in southern states. The BJP does not have the strength to win even one seat in the state elections on its own. An alliance with the AIADMK was a desperate bid to find some footing.
A.G. Rajmohan,
Andhra Pradesh
Sir — Prospects of electoral gains have prompted the BJP and the AIADMK to join hands, once again. The alliance is the only way to take on the DMK. The BJP needed a Dravidian crutch while the AIADMK needed a way to regain the loss of public trust; it is a good deal for both parties.
Bal Govind,
Noida
Harmful agenda
Sir — The present regime’s agendas, like Hindutva and ‘one nation one language’, are anomalous to India’s intrinsic plurality (“Problematic unity”, April 16). The rich tapestry of languages in India carries a wealth of knowledge and cultural significance. This knowledge reserve would be depleted by the government’s push to bring these languages under the umbrella of Hindi.
H.N. Ramakrishna,
Bengaluru
Bold defiance
Sir — The boldness and courage displayed by Harvard University in resisting intimidation by the Donald Trump-led administration in the United States of America are commendable (“Harvard pays for defying Trump”, April 16). Alan Garber, the president of Harvard, made it clear that it would not bow down to the government’s freezing of federal funding.
For an institution that is over a hundred years older than even the US, the clear defiance against Trump’s dictatorship stands as a beacon of hope. Does protesting against the Israeli genocide in Gaza translate into anti-Semitism? How can the world’s most powerful country function under such a partisan agenda?
Jang Bahadur Singh,
Jamshedpur
Sir — Great American educational institutions are under immense threat from Donald Trump and his agenda to reshape higher education in the country. Citing civil rights violations and anti-Semitism, the administration is targeting elite universities with demands to eliminate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programmes, adopt merit-based admissions, and curb campus protests. Trump’s attempt to weaken American universities mirrors Narendra Modi’s efforts to strangle intellectual scholarship in India.
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,
Faridabad
Welcome low
Sir — Retail inflation standing at 3.34% in March — this is the second consecutive month that retail inflation has remained below the Reserve Bank of India’s target — indicates the space for further monetary easing. Though the outlook for inflation looks benign, policymakers cannot be oblivious to the growth uncertainty posed by the tariffs imposed by the United States of America.
M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
Long tradition
Sir — The report, “City heralds Poila Baisakh with prayers, food” (April 16), reminded me of a spot in Calcutta which bustles on every Poila Baisakh — College Street. The book stores are decorated on this day. Going to the boi para on Poila Baisakh is a tradition that book lovers have been maintaining for ages. Some publishers release new books on this occasion.
Sourish Misra,
Calcutta