Risky romance
Sir — The iconic Empire State Building in New York has witnessed countless marriage proposals but few have been as audacious as the latest. The Russian daredevils, Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, scaled the building’s 1,454-foot spire without authorisation, announcing their engagement from high above Manhattan. Their daring and breathtaking display of love, documented for their millions of followers online, however, did not end in a fairytale but in handcuffs. The New York Police arrested the couple on multiple charges and they spent their first night as an engaged couple in separate jail cells. The thrill of going viral online has blurred the line between romance and recklessness. Even the grandest gesture must not disregard the law.
Joy Chaudhury,
Bengaluru
Familiar failure
Sir — The rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Baruipur has cast a shadow over the newly-elected Bharatiya Janata Party government in West Bengal (“Horrors play on loop”, Jul 7). The party had come to power promising better governance and women’s safety. The incident has exposed serious lapses in law enforcement. According to locals, the girl’s disappearance was reported promptly. The victim might have been rescued had the police acted without delay. Public anger was so intense that one of the suspects was lynched before the administration could intervene, reflecting a deep erosion of trust in law enforcement. The administration cannot evade responsibility.
Mangal Kumar Das,
South 24 Parganas
Sir — A change of government does not automatically guarantee women’s safety. The harrowing incident at Baruipur recalls the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case.
Allegations of police inaction, delays in registering complaints and undue political influence over the investigation have resurfaced. The former chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, is being prevented from meeting the bereaved family. These are eerily similar to the playbook of the previous dispensation. Equally disappointing has been the muted response of the mainstream media to the issue. The chief minister, Suvendu Adhikari, must ensure a transparent and impartial investigation
and avoid repeating the
mistakes of the previous regime.
Aayman Anwar Ali,
Calcutta
Sir — The Baruipur rape-and-murder incident exposes the deep social decay that transcends political change. Bengal witnessed several such crimes under the previous dispensations. The tendency
of political parties to exploit such crimes for partisan gain is deplorable. In several past cases, attention shifted from securing justice to questioning the victim’s character. Politics continues to shape public discourse in ways that hinder reform.
Mihir Kanungo,
Calcutta
Sir — In the politically fractious terrain of Bengal, the rape and murder of a minor and the subsequent mob violence and lynching of one of the alleged accused have become the latest flashpoint. This incident poses the first major law-and-order challenge for the Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP government. The police are incompetent. Lynching has no place in a civilised society.
S.S. Paul,
Nadia
Fascist drift
Sir — Debashis Chakrabarti’s article, “Fascism mutates” (Jun 25), was a timely reminder that authoritarianism rarely appears in the same form across generations. While its methods evolve, fear, the politics of exclusion, and concentration of power remain the features of fascism. History, however, offers hope. Fascist regimes have repeatedly collapsed under the weight of their own misrule.
A.G. Rajmohan,
Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh
Sir — “Fascism mutates” was a thought-provoking essay. Fascism does not evolve into a fixed set of identifiable forms. Instead, its fundamental principles constantly evolve to exploit contemporary societal anxieties and democratic systems. Modern mutations, termed neo-fascism, do not eradicate elections but dismantle democratic institutions incrementally, operating quietly from within existing frameworks.
Basir Ahmed,
Calcutta
Liberal legacy
Sir — The United States of America marked the 250th anniversary of its Independence on July 4 (“Fireworks, concert mark 250th US I-Day”, Jul 5). Abraham Lincoln’s enduring words, “At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher,” capture the resilience of the American spirit.
Avinash Godboley,
Dewas, Madhya Pradesh
Sir — The 250th anniversary of American Independence is a legacy of achievements in liberty, innovation and institution-building. Yet the celebrations come at a time when Americans remain sharply divided over the values that define their republic. The US’s future will depend on its ability to bridge these divisions, adapt to a changing global order and harness technological innovation.
Ranganthan Sivakumar,
Chennai
Sir — Built on the values of liberty and democracy, the US faces serious internal challenges at present. The current occupant of the White House, President Donald Trump, continues to attack and undermine the very foundations on which the American story was built — from its universities and free trade to its openness towards immigrants and lofty institutions. It is to be hoped that the country’s independent institutions will continue to uphold the constitutional values that have long defined the American experiment.
M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu