Strange logic

Sir — The ruling regime’s ideological mission to reclaim India’s ancient cultural identity is hardly new. But now even nursery rhymes seem unable to escape its censorious gaze. Yogendra Upadhyay, the Uttar Pradesh minister for higher education, has declared that the rhyme, “Johnny Johnny Yes Papa”, encourages lying. “Rain Rain Go Away”, he further argued, promotes “swantah sukhay” or selfishness because poor Little Johnny wants to play instead of supporting agriculture. Will other poems, too, be subjected to such ridiculous reasoning? “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, for instance, may be banned for promoting astronomy over astrology and “London Bridge is Falling Down” might be deemed harmful for diplomatic ties with Britain.

Josephine Tigga,
Bengaluru

For wealth’s sake

Sir — Amish’s article, “The Artha Shastra” (May 10), offers much food for thought on Bengal’s present economic predicament. Despite its intellectual and cultural capital, Bengal has failed to create an investor-friendly environment comparable to that of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu or Karnataka. The author rightly suggests that wealth creation should be a top priority at the moment for the new Bharatiya Janata Party government in Bengal. A major reason for the state’s prolonged decline has been the inability of the Centre and the state, often governed by ideologically opposed parties, to work in synergy.

To Amish’s list of Bengali pioneers of entrepreneurial thinking, I would add Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray. I would like to point out to the author that the term, “baharigato”, is a recent political coinage, weaponised in the campaign battle between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP ahead of the elections. Bengalis are rarely parochial in their outlook.

Ardhendu Chatterjee,
Durgapur

Sir — “The Artha Shastra” by the ever-flamboyant Amish was a delight to read. It was quintessential Amish — lucid in expression, clear in thought, and heartfelt in tone. Over the past few decades, Bengal has witnessed a devastating exodus of its aspirational youth. The state increasingly came to be seen as a vast old-age home, making political change inevitable. For now, all one can do is hope for renewal.

Debojoyti Mukherjee,
Howrah

Sir — One can regard Amish’s article, “The Artha Shastra”, as a heartfelt love letter to Bengal. Bengalis are by nature warm people who cherish peace and tranquillity. From the era of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, which challenged caste hierarchies, to the anti-colonial struggle, intellectual discourse, academic pursuits and deep engagement with culture have remained integral to everyday life in Bengal. Bengalis have traditionally been more invested in ideas and creativity than in the accumulation of wealth. But times have changed. For survival and progress, Bengal now also needs artha — material prosperity.

Anita Roychoudhury,
Calcutta

Sir —Any discussion on Bengal’s industrial and economic decline must be grounded in historical facts rather than mythology. Before commenting on the issue, Amish should acquaint himself with the historical processes that shaped Bengal’s trajectory.

The deterioration of Bengal’s economy after Independence was not caused primarily by the rise of communism but by the vindictive economic policies pursued by the establishment at the Centre. During the British raj, Calcutta was known as the second city of the Empire. Yet policies such as the Freight Equalisation Policy (1952–1993) systematically undermined Bengal’s industrial advantage. Amish is correct in observing that culture, like lamps, needs oil to survive. But history shows that Bengal’s economic “oil” was extracted and redirected to western and northern India, weakening both its cultural and economic dominance.

Rudra Sen,
Calcutta

In decline

Sir — In his article, “Triple exit” (May 11), Jayanta Sengupta reflects on the political decline of three leaders whose departures mark the end of an era. Naveen Patnaik, who ushered in development in Odisha, lost public confidence because of his advancing age and concerns about the direction of his party. Nitish Kumar transformed Bihar from the state of jungle raj to a society aspiring development. But his prolonged tenure may have dulled his political vision. Mamata Banerjee’s case is different. Her government unleashed fear and intolerance on the masses, compelling them to overlook corruption, nepotism and political excesses, while failing to deliver meaningful development.

Abhijit Chakraborty,
Howrah

Sir — The proliferation of political parties often encourages horse-trading in a parliamentary democracy. A presidential form of government may offer a better alternative by reducing the instability of coalition politics although such a change would require constitutional amendments. Nevertheless, the weakening of regional parties could ultimately benefit the country. That said, I differ with Jayanta Sengupta’s decision to bracket Naveen Patnaik with Mamata Banerjee and Nitish Kumar in his article.

Basudeb Dutta,
Nadia

Sir — Jayanta Sengupta’s analysis of the exit of the three regional satraps was poignant. There is fear that federalism may come under strain under the new saffron regime in Bengal. But there remains hope that Bengal’s development will accelerate under a so-called double-engine government.

M.H. Adil,
Calcutta

Sir —”Triple exit” identifies the decline of federalism. The power structures Naveen Patnaik, Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee built became unaccountable.

Jayanta Datta,
Hooghly