Dodgy lessons
Sir — Fictional detectives have been an integral part of our childhood. However, we often fail to acknowledge the dubious acts of our favourite sleuths that can be considered illegal. Whether it is Sherlock Holmes burgling houses, Cormoran Strike trespassing on private property or Byomkesh Bakshi letting go of murderers, fictional sleuths often break the law. But young readers may not always be able to differentiate between right and wrong. Parents must help their wards understand that certain actions of these characters should not be emulated. Statutory warnings in the reprinted copies could also be helpful.
Subimal Bose, Calcutta
Wider pool
Sir — The Centre’s decision to widen the pool from which the next chief of defence staff may be chosen must be commended. The new CDS can now be appointed from among any of the three serving chiefs of the defence forces — army, air force and navy. Three-star officers who are still serving may be chosen for the post as well. Any retired chief or retired threestar officer under the age of 62 would also be eligible. This is a prudent way to fill up the vacant post after the death of the country’s first CDS, Bipin Rawat, in an accident last year. The government has shown that it is committed to improving the organisational structure of the armed forces by amending the rules of appointment. This will make the selection process more inclusive and boost morale. Janga Bahadur Sunuwar, Jalpaiguri
Biased critic
Sir — The national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, J.P. Nadda, recently said that the Trinamul Congress has no principles. If this is true, then why does the TMC continue to enjoy the people’s support in West Bengal? On the other hand, the principles of the BJP, especially its discriminatory attitude towards minorities, have proven to be disastrous. The TMC may have its shortcomings, but it is committed to protecting the interests of all communities in Bengal.
Arun Gupta, Calcutta
Phantom presence
Sir — The payphone used to be as ubiquitous in Hollywood movies as it once was on the streets of New York, as recalled by Ruchir Joshi (“Dead instrument”, June 7). Just the other day, I was watching Unfaithful in which the character played by Diane Lane calls a young man, whom she is fond of, from a payphone. The film by Joel Schumacher, Phone Booth, revolves around a single payphone. In the thriller, The Fugitive, the protagonist, played by Harrison Ford, uses the payphone to communicate with others as he is being pursued by the police. Payphones may have fallen into disuse but they will survive through works of art.
Niamul Hossain Mallick, East Burdwan
Needless order
Sir — The Tamil Nadu government has announced that it will allow all commercial establishments to remain open for 24 hours on all days of the week for three years. However, a handful of customers tend to visit shops late at night. The only benefit of this directive is that it may generate some employment. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government has received plenty of accolades since it came to power last year. But now it may face criticism for this order. The government should rethink its decision. N. Mahadevan, Chennai
Vile addiction
Sir — A 16-year-old boy has allegedly killed his mother over the game, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, popularly known as PUBG. This is shocking. The adverse effects of online gaming and social media have been tremendous on the youth. Their exposure to the internet must be monitored.
Kirti Wadhawan, Kanpur
