Reclaim history

Sir — Popular imagination would have us believe that the typical archaeologist is a handsome, white male grabbing Pagan oddities for museums with a whip in one hand — think Indiana Jones. But an all-African tomb excavation in Egypt by a group of young Sudanese archaeologists is challenging such whitewashing of African history. India should take note of this and encourage more research and indigenous explorations within the country instead of merely lamenting artefact thefts committed by colonisers. Simply mourning the loss of the Koh-i-Noor is of no use when there are many more gems hidden in India.

S.S. Chaudhuri, Calcutta

Bitter pill „Sir — Reports about medicines imported from India killing children in impoverished countries reflect poorly on the drug regulation regime here (“Indian syrup tied to kid deaths in Uzbekistan”, Dec 29). India is the largest manufacturer in the world of generic drugs for many international pharmaceutical companies. It should implement a more rigorous regulatory framework, focussing on quality and safety checks on drugs during the manufacturing process. This will not only restore international goodwill but also make the Indian pharmaceutical market reliable for its own citizens.

H.N. Ramakrishna, Bengaluru

Room with a view

Sir — The Argentine football team was hosted by Qatar University during the duration of the Fifa World Cup. They were provided the same accommodation and facilities that students are given. Many fans of the team are interested in a tour of the rooms, especially the one occupied by the captain, Lionel Messi. The left-footed forward played a pivotal role in fulfilling Argentina’s 36-year-old dream of winning the trophy. To memorialise this feat, the University has decided to convert his room, B201, into a miniature museum. The University campus now sports a blue-and-white theme to honour the players as well.

Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai

Facts first

Sir — The editorial, “Past is putty” (Dec 29), rightly denounces the need to rewrite Indian history simply because the present dispensation is bent on giving it a Hindutva twist. Historians should adhere only to facts based on corroborative evidence and not biased opinions. Otherwise, the future generation will learn a skewed historical narrative just as we had before them.

K. Nehru Patnaik, Visakhapatnam

Feel the pain

Sir — Research has shown that women are better at reading another person’s mental state or perspective from body language and eye contact or, to put it scientifically, at cognitive empathy (“The eyes have it”, Dec 31). This is perhaps why mothers can accurately tell a child’s needs without the latter even articulating them. But perhaps even women would fail to read the body language of those who are double-faced.

Kiran Agarwal, Calcutta

Sir — Women are more empathetic than men because society has conditioned them to be caregivers for generations. Men take advantage of this fact to get away with being insensitive. Empathy can be cultivated by both men and women.

Binita Shaw, Mumbai

Golden opportunity

Sir — If India wins the bid to host the 2036 Olympics, it will benefit both the economic and sports sectors of the country. It is, however, important for India to not underestimate the dedication and potential that an event like this will require. This can prove to be a historic event for India if done right.

Swati Pandey, Ujjain