Bitter truth
Sir — If the chaos of the Special Intensive Revision has not already turned Bengalis against the Bharatiya Janata Party, the mismanagement of the West Asia crisis and the shortage of LPG certainly will. This is because the commercial LPG shortage is taking away from plates the things that matter the most to Bengalis of all stripes: amriti, jilipi, kalojaam, mihidana, sitabhog and other sweets that require high heat over long periods of time to be cooked. All of life’s troubles disappear when one eats a delicious, dripping kalojaam at the end of the day. With that gone, the BJP’s chances in Bengal will go too.
Rima Roy,
Calcutta
Just politics
Sir — News from Odisha shows a rare political arrangement between the Biju Janata Dal and the Congress for the Rajya Sabha elections. Both parties have come together to support the nomination of Datteswar Hota. Although, traditionally, the BJD has always supported or been supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The numbers in the state assembly explain the decision. No party has enough legislators to secure the fourth seat alone. Cooperation therefore becomes a practical response to arithmetic rather than a sudden ideological shift in Odisha politics.
Sayantan Basu,
Calcutta
Sir — The contest for four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha reveals how legislative mathematics drives alliances. Each candidate needs support from at least 30 legislators. The BJP has 79 members in the assembly, the BJD has 48 and the Congress 14. Temporary cooperation between the Congress and the BJD should thus not come as a surprise.
Prerona Roy,
Calcutta
Sir — Many observers view the joint candidate backed by Naveen Patnaik and Bhakta Charan Das as a signal of political realignment in Odisha. The BJD historically opposed the Congress. That history makes the present cooperation notable. However, the immediate purpose remains limited. The parties seek to secure representation in the Rajya Sabha. Electoral calculations often produce temporary partnerships without creating durable alliances.
Aloke Kumar,
Gaya
Lost privilege
Sir — Britain has long altered its constitution gradually rather than through sudden upheaval. The powers of the House of Lords were already reduced by the Parliament Act 1911 and the Parliament Act 1949. Those laws limited the chamber’s ability to block legislation passed by elected members of Parliament. The House of Commons has passed a new bill to remove all hereditary peers, fulfilling a manifesto pledge of Keir Starmer’s Labour Party. This is just another step in a century of incremental changes.
Manzar Imam,
Purnea, Bihar
Sir — Discussion about tradition often shapes British constitutional arguments. Critics of the bill to remove hereditary peerage say the peers sometimes serve as institutional memory within the House of Lords. Their independence from political parties can occasionally strengthen scrutiny of legislation. Supporters of reform respond that inherited privilege has little place in a legislative body. The question therefore becomes simple — Parliament must decide whether experience gained through family lineage justifies a permanent seat in national lawmaking.
Ishika Mukherjee,
Calcutta
Sir — The aristocracy has already lost most direct political authority over many decades. Only 92 hereditary peers remain in the House of Lords today. The latest bill simply removes the final group. Debate now centres on who should replace them and how an appointed second chamber can remain accountable.
Annesha Ghosh,
Calcutta
