Two worlds

Sir — Life in the 21st century has moved online. But a study published in the Financial Times suggests that the lure of the offline is strong too. It found that social media usage has fallen by as much as 10%, powered by the ‘posting zero’ trend, which refers to youngsters gradually reducing their online presence. Empty grids and quiet stories are thus heralding a strategic disappearance from social media platforms. Pulling back may be the new cool, but will it make a meaningful difference in terms of digital detoxification if users stop posting but still spend hours scrolling through online content?

Boddhisatwa Dhar,
Pune

Crucial exercise

Sir — The Election Commission of India has done a commendable job by publishing the draft electoral roll of West Bengal as per the stipulated schedule. This achievement stands in contrast to the charges levelled by the Trinamool Congress over the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision in the State.

Despite assurances from the EC that any omission in the draft roll would be rectified before the final roll is published, those associated with the ruling party have sought to sensationalise discrepancies. For instance, a TMC councillor sat in protest at a local crematorium, demanding that the EC perform his last rites after he found that his name had been marked as deceased in the draft roll (“’Dead’ councillor seeks his last rites”, Dec 17). It is hoped that the EC will scrutinise and rectify all errors and discharge its constitutional duty without yielding to provocation from any quarter.

Jahar Saha,
Calcutta

Sir — The draft electoral roll of West Bengal was released by the EC on Tuesday (“Voter hurdles in finding names on draft list”, Dec 17). There was anxiety among voters from early morning till they found their names on the list. Many headed straight to their respective polling booths, where the draft lists were displayed, to verify whether their names appeared on the list. The experience was reminiscent of two very crucial moments of school life: the result days of the Class X and the Class XII examinations.

Sourish Misra,
Calcutta

Robust ties

Sir — Ethiopia, India’s key partner in Africa, has conferred Narendra Modi with the nation’s highest honour, the Great Honor Nishan of Ethiopia. According to the Ethiopian prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, his Indian counterpart has done exceptional work to improve the strategic ties between the two countries. The recognition is more than a mere decoration; it represents India’s growing global stature and the increasing willingness of countries to deepen ties with New Delhi.

Kirti Wadhawan,
Kanpur

Figurehead

Sir — For a political
party that tends to make tall claims about upholding democracy, there seems to be something undemocratic about its inner functioning. The Bharatiya Janata Party should have elected its new president through an election. Instead, one Nitin Nabin, a lightweight politician from Bihar, has been appointed as the working BJP president (“Bihar surprise in next BJP chief pick”, Dec 15). Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have, once again, imposed their will to have a proverbial rubber stamp as president to maintain their stranglehold over the BJP.

S. Kamat,
Mysuru

Sir — Nitin Nabin, a relatively unknown political leader, has been appointed as the working president of the BJP (“Hidden signals”, Dec 18). The move signals the party’s push for younger leadership ahead of crucial assembly elections.

M.R. Jayanthy,
Chennai

Icon endures

Sir — It is heartening that Feluda, the iconic detective created by Satyajit Ray, has completed 60 glorious years. Since his first appearance in “Feludar Goendagiri” in 1965, Feluda has remained a timeless symbol of intellect, moral clarity, and refined Bengali sensibility. Along with Topshe and Jatayu, Feluda has enthralled generations
of readers, inspiring curiosity and logical thinking among young and old alike.

Feluda is not merely a detective; he is a cultural institution. The stories blend mystery with history, travel, and Indian ethos. On this 60th anniversary, Feluda is still relevant and continues to be discovered by newer generations.

Susanta Roy Chowdhury,
Calcutta

Noisy debate

Sir — In ABP Ananda’s daily talk show, “Ghanta Khanek Sange Suman”, hosted by Suman De, the guest panel tends to comprise the same familiar faces from various political parties and platforms. While De kicks off by presenting data from his archives to contextualise the issues, the discussions often descend into loud quarrels among the panellists.

Little of substance can be heard. Viewers are thus frequently compelled to switch to other channels. Unless the format is reorganised, the talk show will lose its relevance and credibility.

D.P. Bhattacharya,
Calcutta