To the moon
Sir — Mankind’s fascination with the moon is as old as time. While some have tried to leave a mark on the moon — Neil Armstrong comes to mind — others have attempted to claim a piece of the moon for themselves by buying lunar rocks. But the American artist, Jeff Koons, is perhaps the first person who has left a few ‘moons’ of his own on the moon. Koons sent an art piece, Moon Phases, to be left on the moon with the lunar spacecraft, Odysseus. The piece comprises 125 mini sculptures of the moon’s various phases. One hopes that unlike earthly art and artefacts, which often get vandalised by people who inscribe their names and paint graffiti on them, sculptures on the moon will be spared such a treatment.
Srabonti Dutta, Calcutta
Trouble abroad
Sir — The lack of employment opportunities in the country is leading many Indians to try and seek greener pastures abroad despite facing several odds (“Dunki as Pegasus”, Mar 4). There is, of course, no confirmed data on the number of Indians illegally living in developed nations. But it is no secret that unscrupulous people dupe workers with vague promises and unenforceable contracts and lure them to work under inhumane conditions. As a result, even in their country of emigration, these workers are left with few options to earn a decent living.
Anthony Henriques, Mumbai
Sir — Every year, many Indians migrate to other countries to seek employment opportunities and some adopt illegal routes by falling victim to dubious recruitment schemes. The news that Indian workers were hired by Russian authorities for non-combat roles but then made to fight on the war front is shocking. Similarly, thousands of unemployed Indians are willing to take up employment in war-torn Israel. This paints a grim picture of the job situation in India. The government must look into this problem at once.
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
Sir — The plight of Indian youths owing to the high rate of unemployment in the country is not new. The distress they face abroad is a modern form of slavery. This kind of exploitation must be tackled with better policies. Our external affairs ministry must ensure the safety of Indian workers abroad.
Tapomoy Ghosh, East Burdwan
Hard love
Sir — It is disheartening to learn the results of a Pew Research Center survey, which found that a majority of Indians support authoritarianism. However, there is still reason to hope that a society as diverse as India, which witnesses a constant tug-of-war among varied groups and political parties, will evolve in a direction that will always be democratic. India’s democracy will be resilient if ethnic heterogeneity, regionalism and communal diversity provide a cushion against the entrenchment of authoritarianism, which the country is now experiencing under the Bharatiya Janata Party government.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Debt rising
Sir — The debts of Indian households are growing at an alarming rate. Net financial savings of households fell to a nearly-five-decade low of 5.1% of the gross domestic product in 2023 and financial liabilities or debt of households rose sharply by 5.8%
of GDP. The fact that this debt is distributed throughout the populace rather than being concentrated among some households is more worrisome. Low income, declining real earnings and purchasing power, and unstable employment are some of the factors contributing to this.
Rural debt has been additionally impacted by several factors, including the government’s unwillingness to institute minimum support prices for all crops as well
as implement other recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. Moreover, the dearth of easy accessibility to institutional loans forces farmers to turn to moneylenders who demand high interest rates pushing them further into debt.
Arka Goswami, Durgapur
Feral creatures
Sir — A child was recently mauled to death by stray dogs in Delhi. Such accidents are becoming frequent across the country. India’s stray dog population is estimated to be around 30 million. Feeding stray dogs can exacerbate the problem. Abandoning pets can also turn them feral. India accounts for the bulk of deaths due to attacks by dogs.
This must be addressed as a public health issue and not just from the perspective of animal rights. Rabid and feral dogs must be euthanised.
H.N. Ramakrishna, Bangalore
Keep them safe
Sir — The population of leopards is on the rise in the country. At present, there are about 13,874 leopards in India. Yet, challenges persist when it comes to conserving them. Poaching and man-animal conflicts threaten the existence of these big cats. Properly planned conservation is necessary not only for the survival of these magnificent creatures but also for maintaining the ecological balance. Concerted efforts should thus be made to safeguard the leopard population in the wild.
Aqsa Anwar, Delhi
Smooth ride
Sir — Visitors to the Alipore Zoological Garden can now enjoy a guided tour of the park in battery-operated carts. Ten carts are ready to ferry visitors around the zoo. Many people, especially the elderly, face difficulties covering the entire zoo on foot. The service will thus undoubtedly be popular among visitors. In fact, authorities may soon have to bring in more such carts.
Sourish Misra, Calcutta