True success

Sir — For generations, career advancement has been treated as sine qua non of one’s work life progressing. One was expected to hustle, upgrade positions and collect promotions. Standing still was considered career suicide. Like everything else, Generation Z has sought to buck this trend. Its concept of ‘career minimalism’ — a quiet rebellion against stress-inducing workload and prioritisation of work-life balance — is becoming popular. What is truly significant is that the older generations are now also joining in. It is refreshing to see the proverbial career ladder being ditched in favour of meaningful success.

Ritabrata Deb,
Noida

Sombre spirit

Sir — On Christmas Eve this year, India witnessed a disturbing spate of targeted attacks by Hindutva groups against Christians, with churches vandalised, celebrations disrupted, and worshippers intimidated across several states. Notably, a majority of these incidents were reported from states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the morning prayers at a cathedral in Delhi. But such a gesture rang hollow, given his silence on the humiliation faced by Christians (“Xmas outreach, mum on attacks”, Dec 26).

Calls for India to be declared a ‘Hindu nation’ are no longer whispered on the fringes; they are made openly and unapologetically by figures associated with the ruling establishment. It is a warning to all minorities. The BJP’s hate-filled agenda is a blow to Indian pluralism.

Bhagwan Thadani,
Mumbai

Sir — As people around the world celebrated Christmas joyfully, radical elements linked to the Hindutva brigade vandalised churches and threatened devotees who gathered to celebrate the occasion. It is deeply condemnable that no action has been initiated by Bharatiya Janata Party–led governments in these states against those responsible for the vandalism.

Tharcius S. Fernando,
Chennai

Sir — Narendra Modi’s participation in the Christmas prayers could be a calculated move for the forthcoming assembly elections. But the same could be said of the temple visits by Opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi and M.K. Stalin. Such gestures have become a common practice to hoodwink voters. The same applies to election promises, most of which never see the light of day.

N. Mahadevan,
Chennai

Sir — Nationalism signifies love for one’s country. However, when it becomes entangled with communalism or fanaticism, it can breed hatred towards other communities. History offers grim reminders of this danger in the form of fascism where national identity was tied to religion or race, turning the Other into an enemy. Some political forces tend to exploit this sentiment and sow divisions.

This year’s Christmas celebrations, which were disrupted by Hindu fundamentalists in several places, are a case in point. While the prime minister wished Christians, neither he nor any leader from his party condemned the attacks on the community. If this continues, minority communities will face even greater hardship in the days ahead.

Jang Bahadur Singh,
Jamshedpur

Rare virtue

Sir — Despite the criticisms justifiably targeted at the Uttar Pradesh government for many of its actions, its recent decision to make newspaper reading mandatory for school students must be lauded. This will improve students’ attention spans, reduce excessive screen time, and help them stay informed.

In recent years, the value of newspapers has not been adequately conveyed to youngsters who remain absorbed in digital media. Encouraging newspaper reading will restore this balance while also supporting the newspaper industry, which has been under strain.

Tanmoy Kabiraj,
East Burdwan