Eat, pray, celebrate
Sir — Durga Puja is a festival of all things gastronomic. But the stomach needs a strategy to survive. The first rule is pace. One egg roll at noon is wise, but a second before evening will guarantee regret. Hydration is vital and masala cola does not qualify. Street biryani is best approached with patience, a tolerant liver, and a clear conscience about that solitary potato. Chowmein should be treated as a shared resource and not a solo adventure, while phuchkas will test digestive bravery, so limiting rounds is not weakness but wisdom. Fish fry deserves respect, which means finding a stall where the oil has not seen the dawn. Finally, an orange popsicle, which doubles as coolant and nostalgia pill, can end the day. In short, eat slowly, choose carefully, and pray the stomach holds up.
Aditya Mukherjee,
Calcutta
Grave ailment
Sir — The recent data from 43 cancer registries in India highlight that the lifetime risk of developing cancer in India stands at 11%, with 15.6 lakh new cases and 8.74 lakh deaths reported in 2024 (“Heavy burden”, Sept 5). These numbers cover only a fraction of the population, suggesting that the real burden may be far greater. Early detection has proven effective for cancers of the breast and the cervix, yet the country’s registries remain inadequate to capture the full scale of the disease. Strengthening these registries must be a national priority to ensure informed policy and care.
Ardhendu Chakraborty,
Calcutta
Sir — The reported increase in oral cancer despite a decline in tobacco consumption underscores the long-term harm of tobacco use. This serves as a reminder that past habits continue to exact a price even when present behaviour changes. The recent taxation measures on tobacco products are a welcome step. However, taxation must be coupled with stronger public awareness campaigns and improved access to oral cancer screening. Such interventions can reduce the burden of the disease and save thousands of lives.
C.K. Subramaniam,
Chennai
Sir — Reports about the Russian mRNA cancer vaccine, Enteromix, especially its effect on colorectal cancer, are encouraging. However, caution is warranted. The trial was conducted on fewer than 50 participants and the findings have not yet appeared in a peer-reviewed journal. Until larger studies validate the claims, this cannot be considered a breakthrough. It is important to balance hope with scientific rigour as premature conclusions could lead to misplaced expectations in a disease that is already fraught with uncertainty.
Ireima Imsong,
Imphal
Sir — The promise of mRNA vaccines in treating multiple cancers deserves serious global investment. Research accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic has already shown the adaptability of this technology. The decision by regulators in the United States of America to limit funding in this technology risks slowing progress. Cancer research requires sustained international collaboration, not retreat. India should seize this moment to strengthen its role in mRNA innovation, ensuring that promising therapies are not delayed by geopolitical decisions elsewhere. The stakes are too high for hesitation.
Arunava Sen Gupta,
Calcutta
Keep count
Sir — The 2027 Census will mark a significant departure from past exercises by introducing digital enumeration, self-enumeration, and geotagging of buildings. Assigning precise latitude and longitude coordinates to every structure will bring accuracy and remove the reliance on hand-drawn sketches. This innovation will help planners identify settlements more clearly and manage workloads of enumerators with greater efficiency. A country as large and diverse as India requires dependable maps of housing and households. Geotagging is a step towards building that essential database.
Bishwanath Kundu,
Calcutta
Sir — Geotagging during the upcoming census has the potential to change the way data is collected and used in India. Enumerators will map buildings with smartphone applications, making it possible to create a digital grid of residential and non-residential structures. This will provide clarity on how settlements grow and transform, especially in rapidly urbanising regions. Once the coordinates are fixed, development programmes can be planned with better accuracy. The census will then not only count citizens but also produce a reliable national housing map.
D.P. Bhattacharya,
Calcutta
Bleak future
Sir — The Rs 72,000 crore Great Nicobar project will irreversibly alter one of India’s most fragile ecosystems. Over eight lakh trees are expected to be cut, with some estimates placing the figure far higher. These forests support rare species and act as natural barriers against storms and cyclones. The idea that compensatory afforestation in distant Haryana could replace this loss is absurd. Old-growth rainforests cannot be replicated. The government risks undermining both environmental credibility and the long-term safety of the island with this approach.
Sagar Chakraborty,
Calcutta
Sir — The Nicobarese and the Shompen tribes stand to lose the most from the Great Nicobar project. Their ancestral lands are earmarked for construction despite constitutional and statutory safeguards. The Shompen Policy clearly requires their welfare to be prioritised, yet the tribal reserve has been denotified. Disregarding Article 338-A and the Forest Rights Act is a direct violation of the law. Development that erases vulnerable communities cannot be called progress. The government should cancel the project and engage in genuine consultation with the people most affected.
Pinaki Majumdar,
Calcutta