Organised crime

Sir — Whoever said a criminal cannot be considerate needs to go to Gujarat. In an effort to be kind towards the troubled citizens, government officials in Gujarat are now offering an easy-monthly instalment option on bribes. What, one wonders, is next? A cashback option in case the work that people have to pay bribes for does not get done, or perhaps a bribe loyalty programme where one pays five instalments of bribe and gets one instalment free. One shudders to think just how entrenched corruption has to be for it to become this organised. Perhaps the law enforcement authorities should start a scheme of their own — pre-approved arrest warrants for errant officers.

Rahul Shaw,
Calcutta

True leader

Sir — Yusuf Meherally’s life reads like a challenge to everything that passes for politics today (“Fire and honey”, July 12). Socialist, internationalist, environmentalist, he ticked every box. A mayor who welcomed M.K. Gandhi and walked with workers, who read prison walls like scripture, and who made even Bertram Wolfe rethink Lenin. That kind of leadership does not re-emerge by chance. It needs to be nurtured by the soil of the land. Mumbai once had it, so did India. Now it is lost forever.

Shaik Arshad,
Mumbai

Sir — Yusuf Meherally’s greatest achievement was neither inventing the slogan, ‘Simon Go Back’, nor the mayorship of Mumbai. It was his refusal to become bitter. Imagine being jailed by the British and yet praising their sense of justice. That sort of grace turns enemies into possible allies. That was the real genius of that generation of leaders. They hated injustice, not people. They could march against the Empire and still borrow its better ideas.

Ajay Tyagi,
Mumbai

Set in stone

Sir — It is remarkable how holiday brochures hide centuries of hostility (“History’s rumbles”, July 11). Cambodia and Thailand are no strangers to conflict. Preah Vihear and Angkor Wat are not simply architectural marvels; they are symbols, claimed and contested with a zeal that modern maps cannot contain. Until old wounds are confronted with maturity, even the most peaceful tropical skies can turn thunderous in an instant.

Rinjini Mitra,
Calcutta

Sir — France left behind resentment carved in stone in Thailand and Cambodia. This is not about one or two temples. It is about history lived differently on either side of a line. Until both sides can sit down and admit that civilisations were complex and overlapping, the quarrel between the two nations will flare up time and again. A sacred site should not bear the burden of modern geopolitical insecurities.

Mihir Kanungo,
Calcutta

Dark comedy

Sir — The nomination of the president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, for the Nobel Peace Prize belongs in the theatre of the absurd (“War through peace”, July 13). Here is a man who greenlights airstrikes, expands arsenals, and treats diplomacy like a hostage negotiation and yet expects a medal for restraint. That Israel and Pakistan are pushing his case only adds to the farce. The real misfortune is not that warmongers want the prize; it is that history shows they often get it. For an award that claims to honour peace, it has spent far too long polishing iron fists.

Anil Bagarka,
Mumbai

Sir — The Nobel Peace Prize, once given for stopping war, is now up for grabs for pausing it briefly between missile strikes. Donald Trump’s campaign for the prize has reached farcical heights — bomb Iran on Tuesday, accept nominations for brokering peace in Iran by Friday. His backers include a regime accused of displacing an entire people and an army that outsourced foreign policy to non-State actors. If this is peace, George Orwell was right when he said, words mean whatever power says they mean. Perhaps the Nobel Committee should award Trump on reality television. At least the pretence would be transparent.

Soutik Hati,
Jhargram

Sir — Handing Donald Trump a Nobel Peace Prize is like awarding a pyromaniac for switching off the gas. That both Israel and Pakistan find him prize-worthy says less about peace and more about power projection. The Nobel Committee should resist the urge to reward diplomatic theatre. Otherwise, it risks turning a historic honour into a running joke. Trump wants statues and ceremonies; let him build them on his golf courses.

Tathagata Sanyal,
Birmingham, UK

Lost opportunity

Sir — When the member of Parliament, Kangana Ranaut, visited flood-affected Mandi, it was a moment that called for compassion. People have lost homes, families and livelihoods. As their elected representative, Ranaut has the MPLADS fund at her disposal. She also has a voice that many listen to. She should have used these to demand help. An MP cannot stop the rains but she can ask tough questions. For instance, why are buildings allowed where forests once stood?

N. Mahadevan,
Chennai