Swedish trick

Sir — One of the fallouts of modern living has been the rise in lifestyle diseases in people of all ages. While many people have chosen to prioritise their health and wellness owing to this, Bengalis are having an especially tough time trying to give up their beloved sweetmeats. Unsurprisingly, Bengalis suffer from a higher rate of diabetes than the national average. Perhaps Bengal should learn from Sweden. The Swedes have come up with a concept known as lördagsgodis, which entails limiting one’s consumption of sweets to just Saturdays. Children, in particular, are made to follow this rule to protect their health. As a result of this tradition, Swedes are able to maintain great health and indulge in their love for sweets without feeling any guilt.

Ishika Saha,
Calcutta

Message of unity

Sir — The Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan deserves to be commended for snubbing the communal demand by a Hindutva group exhorting all local temples to stop buying clothes for their deities from Muslim tailors (“More needed”, Mar 17). While it is unlikely that the dispensations at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh would punish those spreading hatred, sanity would certainly return to this vitiated environment if the followers of inclusive Hinduism peacefully reject such hateful Hindutva tactics.

Kajal Chatterjee,
Calcutta

Sir — The editorial, “More needed”, raised an unsettling yet crucial issue: the growing weaponisation of Hinduism. Calls for the economic boycotts and the targeting of Muslim-owned businesses and attempts to dictate where temples should source clothing for their deities from are not isolated incidents; they are symptoms of a deeper problem. Instead of denouncing such divisive actions, public representatives often turn a blind eye to them or, worse, tacitly endorse such communal acts. Judicial scrutiny exists, but enforcement remains weak.

The silence of a majority of Hindu religious leaders, scholars, and practitioners has allowed this distortion of Hinduism to fester. Vrindavan’s Banke Bihari temple choosing not to succumb to communal pressure gives us hope. But if Hindutva is allowed to dictate public policy, economic relations, and social interactions, India would be at the risk of transforming from a pluralistic democracy to a State where one religion dictates national identity. The battle for India’s soul will not be fought at the borders but within its communities and its collective conscience.

Nilachal Roy,
Siliguri

Sir — The many organisations supposedly looking after Hindu interests have a tendency to issue diktats on behalf of the majority community. Usually, their orders are meekly accepted. Therefore, it comes as a welcome surprise that the management of the Banke Bihari temple refused to obey a communal command to not use clothes made by Muslims for deities. It is time for all Hindus to stand up to these extremist outfits and their bullying ways. The management of the temple needs to be applauded and emulated.

Anthony Henriques,
Mumbai

Sir — The practice of different communities living together peacefully in India will disappear if our government does not take stern action against religious groups that continuously harass and target members of minority communities. The country has always believed in the concept of ‘unity in diversity’. Generosity lies in showing love and respect to all religious communities.

Sunil Chopra,
Ludhiana

Sir — In yet another disquieting call to boycott Muslims, a communal organisation urged temples in Mathura district to not buy clothes for idols made by Muslim tailors. Hindutva's perpetrators are adept at singling out Muslims in one form or the other. Earlier, a call issued by a monk for the genocide of Muslims went unpunished by the State. All citizens, regardless of their religion, have an equal right to reside in India.

T. Ramadas,
Visakhapatnam

Great relief

Sir — It takes courage to be an astronaut. No one proves this better than Sunita Williams. A mission that was originally scheduled to last eight days went on for over nine months for Williams. While she was stranded on the International Space Station, she conducted more than 900 hours of scientific research besides growing space greens and breaking spacewalking records. She has now safely returned to Earth. But the duration of her stay will take a toll on her health.

Bal Govind,
Noida

Sir — The successful docking of the SpaceX capsule at the International Space Station brought immense relief to the stranded crew and their families who have been anxiously awaiting the return of Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore after a nine-month delay in their schedule. Elon Musk’s SpaceX played a crucial role in bringing the two astronauts back to Earth safely. The SpaceX Dragon module carrying Williams and Wilmore landed in the waters off the coast of Florida. With this mission, Williams has become the second Indian woman, after Kalpana Chawla, to make India proud with her accomplishments in space exploration.

R.S. Narula,
Patiala

Against all odds

Sir — Mishti Karmakar, a teenage javelin thrower from Malda district in West Bengal, bagged a gold medal at the 20th edition of the National Youth Athletics Championship held at the Patliputra stadium in Patna, Bihar. Despite severe financial problems, she continued playing the sport. She will be part of the Indian team at the Asian Youth Athletics Meet in Dubai in April. The state should extend support to Karmakar so that she can pursue her sporting career without worries.

Fakhrul Alam,
Calcutta