Great divide

• Sir - Why are only women expected to fast during occasions such as Karva Chauth? In Odisha, women are also expected to fast during Pua Jiuntia, Bhai Jiuntia and Savitri Brata. Again, among Brahmins, the thread ceremony is performed only for sons. Why can we not have such ceremonies for girls too? Nowadays, women are breaking all barriers and setting new milestones in diverse fields - from playing sports to flying fighter jets. Asserting equal rights even in rituals, Renuka Chowdhury, the Congress member of parliament, had performed the last rites of her father. Some of these rituals result in a waste of resources. In this context, one must keep in mind what is right for society as a whole.

Sunil Pradhan,
Nuapada, Odisha

Basic need

• Sir - The question of universal basic income is a particularly pertinent one for our times ("Thorny question", March 23). With the recent developments in robotics and machine learning, advanced technologies like self-driving cars have been perfected to the point where the complete mechanization of certain jobs is closer than ever before. Just as computerization has displaced unskilled work over the last 30 years, the advancement of technology and its imminent wide-scale adoption will create unemployment for workers with limited or no skills.

In the light of this, a universal basic income seems to be an obvious necessity for the welfare system of any country. Without this, it will become impossible to support the process of rehabilitation of the large sections of the population who will lose their jobs with the inevitable takeover of technology.

Sandip Bhattacharya,
Nadia

• Sir - Universal basic income should be a fundamental right for all people. But it should never replace the existing policies of the welfare state. Right-wing propaganda often suggests that in the presence of universal income, individuals will be financially empowered to seek services from the free market. However, if left to the free market, the cost of such services would be dictated by a coalition of corporations and, as such, might skyrocket during an economic downturn.

The arbitrarily rising costs of treatment at private hospitals are a case in point. Any basic welfare service should be consistently available and affordable. It is, therefore, imperative that such services be supported by the State instead of leaving them completely at the mercy of the profit-mongering free market.

Noyonika Sen,
Calcutta

• Sir - The idea of universal basic income often garners criticism on the grounds that it will make people lazy and unwilling to work, thereby affecting the productivity of society as a whole. However, this has a simple solution. Any form of universal basic income should be supplemented by a periodic check that requires citizens to participate adequately in some sort of productive work. Basic pay should only be available to those who fulfil such criteria. It should also be above and beyond what such people earn from the jobs they are already doing. In this manner, flimsy arguments against universal basic income can be nullified.

Parthasarathi Sanyal,
Malda

Play fair

• Sir - The editorial, "Unfair play"(March 28), has rightly explored the deteriorating values in cricket. The latter, once a highly esteemed sport, is no longer a 'gentleman's game'. Earlier, it was decreed that cricket would not involve actions like sledging, body-line bowling or even excessive appealing. It was also understood that if a batsman knew that he was out, he would just walk off the field without waiting for the umpire's decision.

This was, of course, at a time when cricket was a game above all else. As the years have gone by, commercialization and professionalism have spoiled the stature of the sport. It has since been tainted by betting and match-fixing. Now, the issue of ball-tampering is at hand. Recently, the Australian cricketer, Cameron Bancroft, was caught on camera tampering with the ball to get a bowling advantage. The Australian captain, Steve Smith, later admitted that he, too, was involved in the plan to cheat. Smith, along with Bancroft and David Warner - who came up with the plan - has been penalized. By resorting to such unfair means, Smith has not only belittled himself but also shamed his nation and the game of cricket.

However, ball-tampering in cricket is nothing new. In the past, many famous cricketers have been punished for it. Extreme nationalism and self-interest have diminished the glory of the game. Teams nowadays are only interested in victory, irrespective of how they achieve it. Even in big tournaments like the Olympics, illustrious athletes take drugs to win gold medals. Later, they fail doping tests and are stripped of their medals. Such events are demoralizing for fans and budding players. Sportspersons who cheat have no respect for the rules of the games they play. All players should receive training in ethics and discipline, and those caught cheating should be given stringent punishment.

Haran Chandra Mandal,
North 24 Parganas