Mind the pause
Sir — Once the mark of a thoughtful pause, semicolons seem to be falling out of fashion with a generation that is forever breathless. Studies show that the use of semicolons has halved since the year, 2000, and most students cannot even explain what this punctuation mark does. The em dash is another elegant punctuation that is dying a slow death because it has come to be associated with Artificial Intelligence. Gen Z is also famously averse to full stops. If punctuations continue to vanish at this rate, future generations might eventually lose the ability to articulate complex thoughts and speak only in breathless gibberish.
Arna Roy,
Calcutta
Against all odds
Sir — The Democratic candidate, Zohran Mamdani, has been elected the mayor of New York City. He will be the first Muslim and the first South Asian mayor in the United States of America. In his victory speech, he celebrated New York’s immigrants, working class and young people and said that he could see the dawn of a better day for humanity. He is the son of Mira Nair, an award-winning Indian-American film director, and Mahmood Mamdani, a professor at Columbia University.
Murtaza Ahmad,
Calcutta
Sir — Zohran Mamdani’s election as the mayor of New York City has proved, once again, the liberal mindset of Western democracies. This is in stark contrast to the situation in India where hate campaigns against fellow citizens have left little scope for such a mindset.
Mamdani must be specially thanked for invoking Jawaharlal Nehru’s “Tryst with destiny” speech; this bears evidence of his socialist credentials and goal of ensuring the true progress of society. His aim is to make sure that all New Yorkers have access to basic human rights and equality.
Kajal Chatterjee,
Calcutta
Sir — The results of the mayoral polls in New York and other American cities reveal that voters have become disillusioned by Donald Trump and his promises. The fact that Zohran Mamdani won in spite of the threats made against him by Trump as well as the disinterest shown in his campaign by many Democrats should send a clear message to the political elite in America. Trump and his ilk should modify their policies. Amidst the longest federal shutdown in the US, Mamdani’s win points to a difficult road ahead for the Trump administration.
D.V.G. Sankara Rao,
Andhra Pradesh
Sir — Zohran Mamdani’s election as mayor is a defining counterpoint to Donald Trump’s brand of politics. His progressive platform — focused on affordable housing, free commutes, and restoring working class dignity — resonated deeply with a disillusioned electorate.
N. Sadhasiva Reddy,
Bengaluru
Sir — Zohran Mamdani chose to quote Jawaharlal Nehru, the crusader of India’s democratic movement, in his winning speech. It is welcome that people still remember the ethics of Nehru and the role that he played in the formation of India.
Kirti Wadhawan,
Kanpur
Sir — In his emphatic victory speech spanning 25 minutes, Zohran Mamdani showed rock-solid determination. He posed a direct challenge to Donald Trump with just four words, “Turn the volume up”. Trump had tried his level best to ensure that Mamdani lost. As had businessmen and other Democrats. But in the end, people voted for progress.
Iftekhar Ahmed,
Calcutta
Sir — Zohran Mamdani’s win holds out hope for Americans in the same way that the resurgence of the Opposition did for Indians in 2024. It may be a small victory, but it is not insignificant.
Joydeep Biswas,
Calcutta