Rude gesture

Sir — Bouquets and potted plants presented to public figures on stage are often thrown away. Many guests are even annoyed by these since they are not useful as gifts. Additionally, it is difficult to carry them around. However, since it is now a long-standing tradition and a symbol of respect, those who are given such tokens at events should at least accept them gracefully. Recently, the chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, placed a potted plant that he was given on the head of the Indian administrative service officer who presented it to him, prompting laughter from the audience. That is disrespectful.

Sharmi Chowdhury,
Delhi

Unwise words

Sir — Language remains a contentious issue in India. The singer, Sonu Nigam, recently stirred a controversy with his refusal to sing a Kannada song, comparing the request to sing in Kannada to the Pahalgam attack. Now, the actor-turned-­politician, Kamal Haasan, is in trouble after saying that Kannada was born from Tamil at an event in Chennai. Both Kannada and Tamil are Dravidian languages and they share a common ancestor, Proto-Dravidian. According to linguists, they evolved as distinct branches. Kannada has emerged as an independent language even though Tamil is older than Kannada. While Haasan later claimed that his statement was made out of love, he has hurt people in both states with his flippant comment. He should have been more careful about what he said.

K.V. Seetharamaiah,
Bengaluru

Sir — Public figures should be mindful where languages are concerned as these are sensitive topics in India. Kamal Haasan has hurt the sentiments of Kannadigas. Haasan has a history of saying provocative things. But if he wants to succeed as a politician, he should refrain from making inflammatory speeches in public.

Zakir Hussain,
Kazipet, Telangana

Sir — Kamal Haasan’s remark on Kannada has proved to be costly for ties between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. People in high places ought to be extremely careful in their choice of words. As the writer, Israelmore Ayivor, had said, “Words can be medicines; they can also be poisons. Words can heal; they can also kill... It all depends on how, when and where they are used and against whom! Let us not abuse our words. It’s a misuse of the tongue!”

Avinash Godboley,
Dewas, Madhya Pradesh

Sir — Kamal Haasan’s statement that Kannada was born from Tamil is not only factually erroneous but also an assault on the pride of thousands of Kannada speakers. The public outrage from Belagavi to Bengaluru and the demand for a ban on Haasan’s film, Thug Life, reflect their indignation. The chief minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, along with Kannada organisations, have unitedly clarified that Kannada’s history is independent and glorious.

R.K. Jain,
Barwani, Madhya Pradesh

Separate ways

Sir — It is surprising to learn that the camaraderie between the president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, and the billionaire, Elon Musk, has fizzled out abruptly with the latter announcing his resignation from his role as a special adviser to the government. Musk resigned allegedly because he was upset over Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, which he felt undermined the work his team was doing.

D.V.G. Sankara Rao,
Andhra Pradesh

Sir — Elon Musk had resigned from the previous Donald Trump administration in 2017 when the US withdrew from the Paris Agreement on moral grounds. He has now resigned again due to disagreements over the One Big Beautiful Bill, which he believes will increase the US’s budget deficit.

As’ad Kabir Nagari,
Mumbai