Boards of fun

Sir — The board game, Monopoly, turned 90 this week. In spite of all the bickering it caused, it offers proof that board games can be both entertaining and intellectually engaging. India has long had its own treasure trove of such games. Pachisi, with its cunning mix of chance and strategy, was practically an ancient lesson in probability. Chaupar demanded skill in planning, while Moksha Patam offered a moral lecture hidden in dice rolls, and Ganjifa playing cards tested memory and calculation in a way that no WhatsApp forward ever will. These games sharpened minds while provoking endless arguments, all without screens or algorithms. Perhaps a return to these boards might be a better cure for boredom than scrolling through the latest online squabble.

Birkha Khadka Duvarseli,
Siliguri

Too invasive

Sir — The Income-Tax Act, 2025, has extended the taxation department’s search powers from physical premises to digital spaces. This includes cloud storage, private communications, and social media. Such powers aim to curb tax evasion, which undeniably undermines public revenue and fairness. Yet the law sacrifices privacy safeguards by allowing intrusion without a prior judicial warrant. Oversight is weak and approvals are often granted mechanically. A statute passed in haste now risks becoming a surveillance tool. Parliament should revisit the law before democratic freedoms are eroded.

Anil Bagarka,
Mumbai

Sir — The government’s justification for the Income-Tax Act, 2025 is clear. Large-scale evasion now relies on digital concealment, not ledgers hidden in cupboards. If investigators are barred from accessing online records then enforcement becomes ineffective. This makes a case for expanding search powers into the digital realm. But the absence of a requirement for a warrant remains striking. Democracies like the United States of America and the United Kingdom mandate judicial approval before entering private informational domains. India’s system of ex post review shifts the burden onto citizens after privacy is lost. That imbalance requires urgent correction.

Arun Gupta,
Calcutta

Sir — The new Income-Tax Act’s conflict with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, is evident. The second statute speaks of “data minimisation” and “purpose limitation”; the other authorises open-ended access to private data. When such contradictions exist, implementation suffers and trust declines. At the same time, it is unrealistic to expect enforcement in a digital economy without digital powers. The question is not whether such authority is needed but whether it is proportionate and disciplined.

Asim Boral,
Calcutta

Unclear lines

Sir — The Patiala House Court has held that even ‘liking’ a defamatory tweet may count as republication in a recent case. This should make people more mindful of digital gestures. This verdict ensures that serious false statements are not spread with impunity simply because one does not officially repost. But it may punish people who merely meant to bookmark or signal acknowledgement. The law needs clearer thresholds so that only gestures likely to cause real harm are actionable.

Fakhrul Alam,
Calcutta

Sir — The idea that a simple ‘like’ can amount to republication makes legal sense in certain contexts. Yet context matters. Many users like posts without endorsing content. Some people use likes as personal bookmarks or ironic reactions. Courts must distinguish between expressive intent and mere algorithmic mechanics.

Haridasan Rajan,
Kozhikode

Eat better

Sir — A UNICEF report highlights India’s double burden of malnutrition: stunted children on one side and rising childhood obesity on the other (“Double burden”, Sept 16). This paradox reflects cultural, economic, and lifestyle changes. Undernutrition interventions remain vital, but they are not sufficient. Policy must evolve to address calorie excesses and poor dietary habits alongside deficits. Schools, workplaces, and communities should be central to spreading awareness about balanced nutrition. The State has recognised obesity as a challenge. But recognition must translate into sustained investment in healthy food environments and public fitness infrastructure.

Ishan Nandi,
Calcutta

Sir — Ultra-processed foods have entered children’s lives with unprecedented force. A recent UNICEF report warns that aggressive marketing, coupled with sedentary lifestyles, fuels obesity among the young. Limiting this trend requires more than slogans about “Fit India”. Restrictions on advertisements aimed at children, front-of-pack food labelling, and affordable access to fruits and vegetables are essential. At the same time, parents must be held accountable for food choices within the household.

Kiran Agarwal,
Calcutta

Just recognition

Sir — Stephen Colbert’s Emmy win for The Late Show illustrates a striking contradiction. A programme deemed unviable by CBS was simultaneously judged the best in its category by the television academy. The clash between artistic recognition and corporate expediency is not new. Yet satire is valuable precisely because it unsettles power, political or corporate. If broadcasters cannot tolerate discomfort, they risk turning television into little more than bland entertainment.

Jayanta Datta,
Calcutta

Sir — The Emmys demonstrated that peers valued Stephen Colbert’s satire even if his employers did not. His three ovations reflected not only respect for Colbert but also a sense that his dismissal represented something larger: the curbing of dissent.

M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu