A year of indulgences

Sir — Different dictionaries select ‘words of the year’ to reflect the prevalent mood and ethos of the times. The Oxford English Dictionary recently chose ‘goblin mode’ — it means unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly or greedy behaviour — as the word for 2022. For the first time ever, the choice was made through a public referendum. Such behaviour stems from the chaotic return to public life after two years of forced isolation due to the pandemic. However, is ‘goblin mode’ really a novel idea? The Bengalis’ legendary love for lyadh — an expression which correctly sums up the goblinesque way of living life in the most slothful way possible — has been around for a while now. A pandemic is not a prerequisite for being self-indulgent.

Sujata Pakrashi, Calcutta

Wise words

Sir — The speech delivered by Rahul Gandhi at the Red Fort, where the Bharat Jodo Yatra arrived after covering 2,800 kilometres from Kanyakumari, was inspiring (“Fear not, fear not”, Dec 25). Rahul said that in the course of the yatra, he encountered ordinary Indians living in harmony, which belied the ruling regime’s narrative of religious hatred. Rahul then castigated news channels for spreading false fear about social fissures. This, he said, was a ploy of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led dispensation to divert people’s attention from real issues. Rahul even evoked Shiva’s abhayamudra. His comments are justified and must be used to purge the country of fear and bigotry and to unite people.

Iftekhar Ahmed, Calcutta

Sir — Rahul Gandhi’s “daro mat” slogan should be the Congress’s battle cry for the 2024 general elections. Rahul rightly slammed the ‘godi media’ for behaving like government stooges and spewing venom about Hindu-Muslim divisions, thus deflecting from issues such as rising hunger, unemployment and inflation. His words seem to have struck a chord with the nation. The padayatra has successfully transformed the image of Rahul as an inexperienced leader.

K. Nehru Patnaik, Visakhapatnam

Sir — By stating that he witnessed no instances of hatred or violence among the people, Rahul Gandhi, may have, inadvertently, given a clean chit to the Narendra Modi-led Central government, which has been accused by the Opposition of creating an atmosphere of religious polarisation.

N. Mahadevan, Chennai

Sir — The Bharat Jodo Yatra seems to have stirred up a hornets’ nest for the saffron party. The desperate bid to stop it by citing Covid protocols is proof of that.

Suchandra Nandi, Malda

Missed opportunity

Sir — The winter session of Parliament concluded without much debate and discussion on matters of public importance owing to continuous logjams in both Houses. This is disappointing. The standards of parliamentary proceedings have plummeted in recent times. This does not augur well for democracy. Gone are the days when there used to be productive debates during the passage of bills. Both the ruling dispensation and the Opposition must ensure the smooth functioning of Parliament.

M. Jeyaram Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu

Sir — It is disheartening that the winter session of Parliament was cut short six days ahead of schedule. The session witnessed just 13 sittings over 17 days. This was a wasted opportunity. Several crucial matters, such as the economic slowdown, India’s presidency at the G20, the border standoff with China and so on, could have been discussed instead. Further, the fact that the productivity of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha has been claimed to be 97% and 102%, respectively, is belied by the repeated adjournments witnessed during this session.

D.V.G. Sankararao, Nellimarla, Andhra Pradesh

Faulty analysis

Sir — In his article, “History’s iron jaws” (Dec 20), Ruchir Joshi rues the disastrous state of the Indian Foreign Service under the present dispensation. However, the columnist’s reference to the minister of external affairs, S. Jaishankar, as the “Most Excellent Embarrassment” warrants introspection. Jaishankar’s credentials as a seasoned bureaucrat do not need validation. He has proven his diplomatic tact on the global stage several times — his remark on the biased coverage of India by mainstream American media and his deft and balanced handling of India’s stance on the Ukraine war are a few examples.

Kingsukh Som, Gurugram

Limited reach

Sir — The article, “A special collective” (Dec 24), by Asim Ali suggests the emergence of a counter-Establishment public sphere driven largely by the coercive nature of the party in power. Ali cites examples of the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the farmers’ movement to prove his point. However, these were not nationwide phenomena and were confined mostly to certain communities and groups. This shows that an anti-Establishement collective is far from reality.

Yousuf Iqbal, Calcutta

Lion’s share

Sir — Lionel Messi, the captain of the new world champions, Argentina, has posted a photograph of himself on social media which shows him sleeping with the Fifa World Cup trophy. While this may be amusing for fans, it also begs the following question — does Messi deserve sole credit for Argentina’s victory in the Fifa World Cup final? The La Albiceleste won owing to team effort, including contributions from Angel Di Maria and Emiliano Martinez. It is unbecoming of La Pulga to behave as if he is the sole owner of the trophy.

Kajal Chatterjee, Calcutta