Odd choice

Sir — The ‘shock’ factor is integral to the Halloween dress-up tradition. But Julia Fox’s Halloween costume this year has evoked outrage more than bewilderment. The actor dressed up as Jackie Kennedy in her blood-stained, pink suit that the former First Lady was seen wearing when her husband was shot. Critics panned her sartorial choice as a glorification of violence. This criticism may or may not hold water. However, it must be said that Fox’s choice not only lacks taste but her intent to embody horror is also odd.

Shruti Shende,
Hyderabad

Hidden design

Sir — In a country of 140 crore people, Special Intensive Revisions of electoral rolls are necessary (“Be fair”, Nov 5). Such exercises have taken place in the past. However, the present SIR process requires matching of voters’ names against the 2002 voters’ list. But what guarantee does the Election Commission of India have that the 2002 lists were correct and flawless? So if a voter’s name was there in the 1995 list and also in the 2024 list, but not in the 2002 list, does that mean he or she is not an Indian citizen?

Tuhin Das,
Howrah

Sir — The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has rightly moved the Supreme Court over the EC’s decision to conduct the SIR of electoral rolls of several states and Union territories. If the process for updating voter lists is rushed or poorly managed, many genuine voters could lose their right to vote. This
will lead to unfair elections. It is important for the government and the election authorities to be transparent.

Mayukh Mukherjee,
East Burdwan

Sir — Expecting the EC, whose chief is selected through a process that lacks transparency, to be fair is akin to chasing rainbows. The process of safeguarding democracy is contingent, among other factors, on the neutral functioning of the EC. But the growing allegations of partisan conduct against the poll body are making people lose confidence in the SIR. The EC is morally obligated to explain the rationale behind the SIR to restore public confidence. The poll body should be accommodating of those who find it hard to furnish all the required documents, especially the poor and the infirm.

A.G. Rajmohan,
Andhra Pradesh

Sir — The EC began the SIR of electoral rolls in West Bengal, igniting a clash between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (“Battle of Ds on streets on SIR D-Day”, Nov 5). While the BJP has hailed the SIR as a move towards transparency, the TMC has accused the poll body of acting under the BJP’s pressure to manipulate the voter rolls. The administrative exercise has turned into a political flashpoint ahead of the assembly elections next year.

Bhagwan Thadani,
Mumbai

Sir — The very foundation of the EC is its autonomous nature. It is free from executive control so that it can impartially conduct elections. S.Y. Quraishi’s article, “Count them in” (Nov 2), raises very pertinent concerns about the neutrality of the SIR, which is currently being conducted in nine states and three Union territories.

The names of over 68 lakh voters were deleted during the SIR in Bihar. This begs the question: what is the main intention of SIR? Democracy thrives on inclusion of its citizens in the electoral roll irrespective of class, caste and religion. If the SIR cannot assure this basic aspect, then it should be stopped immediately.

Nibedita Das,
North 24 Parganas

Sir — Just as the Ram of Mahatma Gandhi and that of the Hindutva brigade are not the same, the SIR conducted by previous regimes and that underway at present in several states under the BJP-led government at the Centre are vastly dissimilar. It must be asked why the BJP and its bhakts are zealously batting in favour of conducting the SIR when it remains the exclusive domain of the EC. The SIR is nothing but the National Register of Citizens in disguise. If the electoral rolls have been doctored with ‘infiltrators’, then the National Democratic Alliance at
the Centre must resign since the 2024 general elections were conducted based on these very ‘doctored’ rolls.

Kajal Chatterjee,
Calcutta

Sir — The SIR of the
electoral roll in West Bengal is being conducted through house-to-house enumeration ahead of the assembly elections. The SIR’s success will depend on the accuracy of booth-level officers and cooperation from all political parties. The EC should ensure that no genuine voter’s name is dropped.

D.P. Bhattacharya,
Calcutta

Friends in need

Sir — An increasingly authoritarian China is a threat to India (“Deal done”, Nov 4). An extended defence pact between India and the United States of America was thus mandatory. The US knows too well that it requires a regional country’s help to tame China’s ambitions.

Aranya Sanyal,
Siliguri