Uneasy ties

Sir — The relationship between creator and creation is never easy and, at times, tenuous. This seems to be the case with Sam Altman and ChatGPT. Speaking at a podcast recently, the chief of OpenAI said that he is spooked by ChatGPT’s capabilities, emphasising its urgent pace and immense power. His disillusionment at being outperformed by his own creation made him liken ChatGPT to the Manhattan Project, the initiative undertaken during the Second World War that produced the first atomic bomb. But expert opinions had predicted such an eventuality for ChatGPT. One wonders whether Altman suddenly playing Victor Frankenstein is just a marketing gimmick for his creation.

Siddhartha Roy,
Calcutta

Boorish behaviour

Sir — Insulting and controversial remarks against India from the president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, have become frequent (“Dead-meat diplomacy”, Aug 1). Most recently, he claimed that he mediated the ceasefire between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack with trade. He also claimed that India’s economy is “dead” and imposed a sweeping 25% tariff on Indian imports as a penalty against India for purchasing Russian crude.

Such remarks and actions pose a challenge to India’s standing as an emerging global leader. What is worse, the Indian government has not given a fitting response to Trump’s insults. India must speak with clarity and confidence.

Raees Haneef,
Bhiwani, Haryana

Sir — How dare Donald Trump call India a “dead economy”? (“Struck hard”, Aug 2). Narendra Modi should launch an all-out attack on Trump. Trump further went on to say that the US government is going to develop an oil reserve in Pakistan that will lead New Delhi to buy oil from Islamabad. Trump’s tilt towards Pakistan marks a clear shift in the US’s approach to India. India and the US must do what it takes to salvage their relationship.

Murtaza Ahmad,
Calcutta

Sir — Donald Trump’s scathing attack on India and his branding of the Indian economy as “dead” are deplorable. The Union government’s lofty claims about the growth of the Indian economy under the leadership of Narendra Modi are now under fire. The prime minister should issue a strong rebuttal against Trump for his disparaging remarks.

Ananda Dulal Ghosh,
Howrah

Sir — The American president describing the Indian economy as dead is the height of absurdity. The remarks betray his desperation. Most credible financial institutions of the world have remarked on India’s potential to emerge as a superpower. In the post-pandemic world, India has been marching forward with a handsome growth rate, showing signs of recovery even amid the turbulent global economy.

Wars, geopolitics and the US’s trade war may have dented India’s progress, but they failed to bog down the Indian economy. The US has no authority to penalise India for exploring new avenues of trade. New Delhi did the right thing by inking a bilateral pact with Britain and continuing trade relationships with Russia and Iran despite America’s opposition.

D.V.G. Sankara Rao,
Andhra Pradesh

Sir — It has become a habit of Donald Trump to threaten countries with higher tariffs in order to subjugate them. However, rather than retaliating, India maintains a vanquished aura. This is because of the ruling regime’s own vested interests. It is expected that tariffs will not affect the likes of Ambani and Adani.

Asim Boral,
Calcutta

Same old trick

Sir — Allegations made by Tejashwi Yadav, the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, about his name going missing from the draft electoral roll following the month-long Special Intensive Revision were promptly denied as baseless by the district administration (“Tejashwi claims name ‘missing’, EC denies”, Aug 3).

The electronic voting machines have been the Opposition’s whipping boy during any election. Now, it is levelling similar charges against the SIR conducted by the Election Commission of India. Blame game seems to be the only trick up the Opposition’s sleeve.

Jahar Saha,
Calcutta

Sir — The neutrality of the EC has been suspect for quite some time. Under such circumstances, it is the right and the responsibility of the Opposition to raise questions on the conduct of the EC. However, the EC keeps countering the Opposition’s charges smartly by offering explanations that seem cogent. This was the case in the recent charges levelled by the Opposition leader, Tejashwi Yadav. Yadav and other leaders in the Opposition must ponder whether attacking the EC is a way to strengthen the democratic institution.

Khokan Das,
Calcutta

Sir — The Supreme Court’s directive in the case of the SIR in Bihar was laudable. While dealing with petitions challenging the validity of the SIR, the court emphasised the importance of including voters as opposed to excluding them. More than 65 lakh names have been dropped from the draft electoral roll. The court’s advice to the EC to include Aadhaar and voter cards as valid proof for identity is necessary.

M.N. Gupta,
Hooghly

Wide variety

Sir — Being an ardent fuchka-lover, I immensely enjoyed reading the article, “Open and shut face”(Aug 3), by Moumita Chaudhuri. It was fascinating to learn about Kanchrapara’s Shahid Pally, the village which is now popularly known as Fuchka Gram, that serves some very unusual and interesting varieties of fuchkas, such as jelly fuchka. I am now dying to visit the place.

Sourish Misra,
Calcutta