Political threads

Sir — To label The Devil Wears Prada as mere ‘chick-lit’ is to overlook its sharpest insight: fashion is politics. The film dismantles the illusion of neutrality, most memorably through Meryl Streep’s monologue, which reveals how even an ordinary sweater is the end product of elite choices and power structures. Clothing signals class, ideology and aspiration. The supposedly ‘apolitical’ jhola or kurta is as curated as any runway look. What we wear is never incidental; it is coded, strategic and socially legible. The film insists that fashion is not peripheral to politics, but one of its most visible expressions.

Yashodhara Sen,
Calcutta

Heavy burden

Sir — The sharpest ever hike in commercial LPG prices, arriving two days after West Bengal’s elections ended, is too neat a coincidence to ignore (“Steep hike in trade LPG price, eye on fuel rates”, May 2). It cannot be denied that global crude prices at $126 and the West Asia conflict are real pressures, but honest governments communicate hard truths before elections, not right after. Hotels and small businesses are being hit by a Rs 993 hike in cylinder prices. They will pass on costs to consumers, belying the government’s promise of protecting domestic consumers.

K. Chidanand Kumar,
Bengaluru

Sir — Following the rise in jet fuel prices, it is now the turn of commercial LPG cylinders and autorickshaws operating on LPG. Prices of commercial cylinders have risen by nearly Rs 1,000, while LPG for autos is up by about Rs 6.50 per litre. Restaurants and caterers will pass on the costs and autorickshaw drivers are likely to raise fares, burdening middle-class commuters. A rise in domestic LPG prices may follow. While global crude prices are a major factor, increasing rates immediately after elections appears politically convenient even if the crisis itself is largely beyond government control.

S. Balakrishnan,
Jamshedpur

Sir — The sharp spike in commercial LPG cylinder prices is unreasonable. Crores of small food businesses will bear the brunt of this unprecedented hike. Many small eateries have already shut down, while others have resorted to firewood. The increase will have a cascading effect, with hoteliers likely to raise food prices. This, in turn, will affect the common man who depends on affordable meals outside the home.

S. Sankaranarayanan,
Chennai

Sir — The commercial LPG price hike will burden consumers directly and indirectly. It has sharply increased operational costs in the hospitality sector, where commercial LPG is unsubsidised. Many eateries operating on thin margins say the surge has disrupted their cost structures. With the wedding season at its peak, households cannot avoid such expenses, and food prices have risen by up to 10%. Industry members have urged the Centre and state governments to offer tax concessions or subsidies to help the sector withstand the crisis, protect jobs, and ensure its survival.

Dimple Wadhawan,
Kanpur

Futile pursuit

Sir — The human race, even after millennia, seems to be in pursuit of an elusive happiness (“The pursuit of happiness”, May 2). This journey has been unending with people finding themselves negotiating between the twin poles of wealth and poverty as the material world changes relentlessly. It may take ages for socio-economists to move away from a trite idea of the gross domestic product to grasp the concept of the creation and the distribution of happiness, much less measure it. Our sages have long preached that when each one of us begins to feel the pain of another, true happiness will be found. Development, therefore, must lie as much in human ethos as in economics.

R.Narayanan,
Navi Mumbai