Double standards
Sir — In a crossover no one saw coming, Bill Gates is set to make a cameo in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Considered to be one of the longest running and most cherished television shows in India, KSBKBT stars the former Union minister, Smriti Irani. Gates is likely to appear in three episodes to spread awareness about maternal and child health. However, one cannot overlook the irony of a man who was publicly close to Jeffery Epstein — he stands accused of trafficking in underage girls — deciding to come to a third world country to preach about women’s health. It reeks of the White man’s saviour complex.
Aditi Mitra,
Calcutta
Lost opportunities
Sir — Most major political parties have dynastic leaders (“Family first”, Oct 24). This poses the risk of the formation of political fiefdoms, leading to diminishing opportunities for fresh faces in politics. The economist, Mancur Olson, has described dynasts as stationary bandits. Dynastic politics is a blot on India and it has to be eradicated at the earliest to make democracy more vibrant and meaningful.
S.S. Paul,
Nadia
Sir — In a democracy as diverse as India, it is unfortunate that nearly all major political parties have more than one dynast-legislator. The Congress, even in its diminished state, has 857 legislators and 33.2% of them are dynasts. The corresponding figure for the Bharatiya Janata Party is 18.6%. The Left parties, admittedly, are an exception. The sheer scale of the problem demands a nuanced analysis.
Khokan Das,
Calcutta
Tricky situation
Sir — The Supreme Court has been unwilling to accede to the request of the Supreme Court Bar Association president, Vikas Singh, and the solicitor-general, Tushar Mehta, to initiate criminal proceedings against the advocate, Rakesh Kishore, for having hurled a shoe at the chief justice of India, B.R. Gavai (“A bit too lenient”, Oct 24). While the demand for stern action against Kishore is justified, the judges hearing the case were right to let bygones be bygones since Gavai himself has taken this approach. Taking this forward would stir a hornet’s nest. While Kishore has not shown any remorse for his despicable act, Gavai has shown utmost magnanimity and forgiven the former. This will definitely awake Kishore’s conscience.
S Balakrishnan,
Jamshedpur
Sir — It is disconcerting that the Supreme Court does not want to take up a case against the lawyer who assaulted the CJI. The act was not just a personal attack. It was an attack on the occupant of one of the highest constitutional offices in India. Moreover, the assailant has justified his reprehensible act in the name of sanatan dharma. The CJI must introspect lest he leaves the door open for more such deplorable acts by fanatic elements in our society.
S.K. Choudhury,
Bengaluru
Sir — The Supreme Court is clearly in a catch-22 situation. If it does admit proceedings against the lawyer who threw his shoe at the CJI, it will be seen as self-importance. However, by letting him go scot-free, others will feel emboldened to assault those whose opinions they do not agree with. The court must strike a fine balance in its final verdict in this case.
Sarbajaya Bhattacharjee,
Calcutta
Still sweet
Sir — It was wonderful to read that traditional sweets like khaja, lobongo lotika, jolbhora, chitrokut, chandrakala sold like hot cakes on bhai phota (“Bhai Phota whips up mishti mania across sweet shops”, Oct 24). Numerous new and innovative sweets have arrived in the market in recent years. It is thus heartening that the popularity of the traditional Bengali mishtis remains unchanged.
Sourish Misra,
Calcutta