Poor
Karl
Sir — In a cruel twist of irony, visiting Karl Marx’s grave requires a mandatory entry fee. The man who dedicated his life to dismantling the spectre of capitalism has been put behind a literal paywall. Marx’s work critiqued the commercialisation of human life; his grave has now been turned into a commodity. There is something extremely absurd about having to shell out cash just to pay respects to the father of the proletariat. It proves that capitalism does not just seep into every aspect of life; it holds the keys to the afterlife too. In the end, the only thing that does not wither away, apparently, is the profit margin.
Arna Dey,
Howrah
Shaky ground
Sir — The irrational behaviour of the president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, has put the entire world in a tizzy. Further, his imposition of additional tariffs on European countries has put the NATO on shaky ground. Even if Trump does not go ahead with his threats, the damage has been done. America has lost the trust of its NATO allies which was created to counter Russia and China.
Anwar Saeed,
Calcutta
Sir — It is evident that Donald Trump wants to dominate the world against the will of various governments and people. On the other hand, the Russia-Ukraine war seems to be never-ending. Seeing these two superpowers ruthlessly ignore international rules, one can see that Jawaharlal Nehru’s non-alignment policy was perhaps the best for global politics.
Atul Krishna Srivastava,
Navi Mumbai
Indecorous
Sir — The governor of Tamil Nadu, R.N. Ravi, once again, did not read his customary address in the state assembly and staged a walk-out. This begs the question: why do states need governors? Over the past decade, India has witnessed the weaponisation of the gubernatorial office by the Centre. The role of governors stymying state governments not ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party is well-documented. But the scale of it is shocking; bullying is being institutionalised in the office of the governor.
Ranganathan Sivakumar,
Chennai
Sir — The Constitution makes it clear that the governor has to act on the advice of the cabinet except in rare situations. The opening address by the governor before a session of the legislative assembly is thus a routine and ceremonial affair. By defying this rule, the governor of Tamil Nadu has broken decorum. Such actions must be acknowledged legally.
D.V.G. Sankara Rao,
Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh
Rich legacies
Sir — The article, “Look East” (Jan 21), aptly analysed the minds of two Asian stalwarts, Radhabinod Pal and Rash Behari Bose, the former from the point of view of international law and the latter’s armed struggle against colonial rule. Both of them had lived and worked at a time when the Eastern Hemisphere — covering most of Asia — was mostly subjugated to Western colonialism. Yet, they had their minds set on putting Asia on an equal footing with the West.
Paramananda Pal,
Calcutta
Political ploy
Sir — The so-called drive by the Election Commission of India to sort out “logical discrepancies” in the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in West Bengal of over one crore people sounds like one that is designed to help the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has been tirelessly trying to make inroads into Bengal. It is a relief that the Supreme Court has ordered the EC to accept admit cards of Class X as valid proof of residence. Citizens must not suffer because of the kind of political games being played in a bid for power.
T. Ramadas,
Visakhapatnam