Public nuisance
Sir — Privacy and comfort are notoriously rare in India’s public transport systems. Prurient co-passengers peering into their neighbours’ mobile phones on Calcutta’s Metro is a common phenomenon. An additional menace on trains and buses these days is people watching loud podcasts or, worse, melodramatic OTT shows sans earphones. The resultant ‘noise pollution’ is enough to keep fellow travellers wide awake. Passenger behaviour on flights leaves a lot to be desired as well. Many of us have suffered when portly passengers seated behind us try and raise themselves by latching on to the headrest of the seats in front of them. The democratisation of public transport is heartening. What must accompany is a surge in civil behaviour both on air and on the ground.
Anirban Roy,
Calcutta
Upper hand
Sir — The hands, just like the eyes, speak volumes (“Codes of elegance”, Mar 23). Just think of the outward-facing palm of the Buddha in most of his portraits. I always turn to the abhayamudra of the Buddha portrait in times of adversity to feel calmer. When a hand is raised in greeting, it can convey emotions better than words. Even the emojis of hands manage to convey a unique range of emotions.
Kajal Chatterjee,
Calcutta
Sir — Gopalkrishna Gandhi’s article, “Codes of elegance”, got me thinking about the hasta bhedahs that are so crucial to Bharatanatyam. One of the first things students of this dance form learn is the various hasta mudras like pataka, tripataka, ardhapataka, kartarimukha, mayura and so on. Another dance style that is almost entirely dependent on hand gestures is tutting, where the contortions and gestures that are made by the hands of the dancers in quick succession are mesmerising to watch.
Soumya Maitra,
Calcutta
Sir — I wonder if Gopalkrishna Gandhi is aware of the latest trend of ‘hand dancing’ on social media. It involves artists interpreting the entire song through hand movements and mudras. Although the only thing visible on the screen are the hands, it is one of the most expressive artistic portrayals that one can witness.
Yashodhara Sen,
Calcutta
Sir — The article, “Codes of elegance”, reminded me of a study by students of BITS Pilani which had found that hand gestures have a positive impact on the number of views on social media and Ted Talks. Hand gestures are a key aspect of non-verbal communication which contributes to how a message is perceived. Studies in psychology suggest that when speakers use gestures, it helps to emphasise their points, make their message clearer, and keep the audience’s attention. On platforms like social media, where visual content is king, hand gestures can also make the speaker’s delivery more dynamic. While hand gestures are powerful, it is important to note that their interpretation can vary across cultures. In some cultures, certain gestures might be perceived differently and thus must be avoided.
H.N. Ramakrishna,
Bengaluru
Truth matters
Sir — The recent responses provided by the Grok AI chatbot on Elon Musk’s X have raised intriguing parallels with the plight of Doctor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s iconic novel (“Modi most divisive? Grrr-ok”, Mar 21). Grok AI was designed to be “rebellious”. Ironically, it has now rebelled against its creator with the ‘woke’ replies that its creator hates. Like Doctor Frankenstein, Musk’s vision for his creation may be slipping beyond his grasp, revealing the complexity and the dangers of Artificial Intelligence.
Shabbir Kazmi,
Aligarh
Sir — Grok AI has raised a storm on social media with its candid responses to questions about the social and the political landscapes of India. The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, who met the tech billionaire, Elon Musk, whose company owns Grok, in the United States of America has been left with egg on his face after being called communal. It will not be surprising if accusations of a ‘foreign hand’ to destabilise India soon surface.
Haridasan Rajan,
Kozhikode
Sir — Among AI chatbots, Grok seems to be the most dependable. It is correct in saying that Narendra Modi is communal and that V.D. Savarkar begged the British raj to be pardoned. While its lack of bias should ideally bode well for Grok AI, one cannot ensure a bright future for the chatbot given that it also said that the US president, Donald Trump, the vice-president, J.D. Vance, and Elon Musk are the three people most harmful for the US.
Ashim Kr. Chakraborty,
Guwahati
Sir — Grok AI is the modern-day version of the child who had the courage to point out that the emperor with the ‘new clothes’ was, in fact, naked.
Dipendra M. Chakrabarti,
Calcutta
Great mystery
Sir — It appears that Punjab’s administrative reforms department was like a unicorn — existing only in fantasy. For 20 months, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal has held a portfolio that did not actually exist. He has been drawing a salary from the public exchequer for doing absolutely nothing.
Anjana Bhar,
Calcutta
Sir — It seems that Punjab’s government has mastered the art of invisible governance. The member of the legislative assembly, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, headed an imaginary department for almost two years, apparently with no one noticing. In his defence, though, a majority of his peers who are in charge of actual ministries also do precious little and are unlikely to have more to show for their time in office than Dhaliwal.
Noopur Goyal,
Noida
