Material present

Sir — As the wedding season winds up, it might be worthwhile to ponder an aspect of modern weddings. Many weddings these days request guests to give only cash in lieu of gifts as other presents might not be to the receiver’s taste or be something that he or she already owns. But this eliminates the personalised thought and care that once went into choosing gifts for loved ones along with the excitement of unboxing presents, not knowing what the parcel contained. As people prioritise convenience above everything else, traditions that once used to strengthen bonds are increasingly under threat.

Saurashmi Sarkar,
Calcutta

First step

Sir — Four days after N. Biren Singh resigned as the chief minister of Manipur, president’s rule was imposed in the northeastern state that has been torn apart by ethnic violence for the past two years (“Central rule in Manipur”, Feb 14). While the Opposition had been clamouring for Singh’s dismissal, the Central government continued to ignore it. Singh’s resignation was timed to match the foreign tours of the prime minister, Narendra Modi, so that the latter could not be accused of turning a blind eye to Manipur, once again. The decision to impose president’s rule should have been taken in 2023 itself. It is hoped that the crisis in the state will finally be brought under control.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,
Faridabad

Sir — The Centre has decided to impose president’s rule in Manipur because the Bharatiya Janata Party has not taken any decision as to who will succeed N. Biren Singh as chief minister. Whoever replaces him shall be responsible for future election results in that state.

Abhijit Chakraborty,
Howrah

Sir — The imposition of president’s rule in Manipur is in tune with the wishes of a majority of Indians. The Supreme Court has sought a report from forensic experts on audio tapes that allegedly expose N. Biren Singh’s complicity in the conflict. Since people have lost faith in the BJP government, the Congress might have more success in restoring order in the state if it forms a government.

T. Ramadas,
Visakhapatnam

Sir — It is being said that placing Manipur under president’s rule will make room for peace talks between Meitei and Kuki-Zo leaders to sort out the issues breeding mutual mistrust between the two communities. The Kuki-Zos, who had refused to engage in negotiations with N. Biren Singh at the helm, should now soften their stance and try to restore peace to the restive state.

Khokan Das,
Calcutta

Bridge the gap

Sir — Recent research by a non-governmental organisation has revealed the distinction between formal and intuitive understandings of mathematics (“Wrong sum”, Feb 12). It showed that children who have to sell goods in the market have a better grasp on the subject than others even though they perform poorly in school. This is because Indian schools focus on theoretical learning over practical application. Children from well-off backgrounds perform fine in school while lacking practical skills because they can spend more time on their studies. A proper balance is necessary in syllabi to bridge this gap.

Junainah Javed,
Calcutta

Keep it clean

Sir — The editorial, “Clean it up” (Feb 13), raises important questions. Political parties, except perhaps those on the Left, are steeped in corruption, crime and casteism. Convicted criminals are released on parole before the elections. The solution is not to make laws that temporarily disqualify convicts. Ideally,
people should resolve not to elect such candidates of their own accord.

A.G. Rajmohan,
Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh