Correct symbol

Sir — Certain images from protests taking place across the world become popular, adding fuel to these movements. One such image has emerged from the ongoing mass outcry in Istanbul against the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu — the political rival of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The image shows a protester dressed in an inflated costume of Pikachu, a character from the animated Pokémon series, zigzagging through the streets of Istanbul while dodging police batons. The Pokémon universe has always presented a symbiotic relationship between the seemingly animal characters and humans. It is thus unsurprising that Pikachu was found standing in solidarity with ordinary Turks during their predicament.

Archana Gupta,
Bengaluru

Greener pasture

Sir — Greenland, an autonomous territory belonging to Denmark, is at the centre of a geopolitical tug of war (“Vance’s Greenland security rap on Denmark”, Mar 30). During his recent visit to the Arctic island, J.D. Vance, the vice-president of the United States of America, alleged that Denmark has underinvested in Greenland’s security and development, urging Greenlanders to consider independence from Denmark. He promised that the interests of Greenlanders would be much better served by the Donald Trump administration in the US.

Although Greenland’s minders have slammed Vance’s proposal, they must be cautious. Are the US’s overtures a genuine promise of partnership or is the former only keen on using Greenland to counter the rising Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic region?

Gopalaswamy J.,
Chennai

Sir — Donald Trump had expressed a desire to annex Greenland as a passing comment. But then it soon became his obsession and, now, the acquisition of Greenland has turned into a major foreign policy goal of the US. The recent visit by J.D. Vance to the US military base in the Arctic island is proof of this. Trump is determined to fend off the rising patrolling of Russian submarines in the Arctic sea. Getting control of Greenland, which is also rich in oil and gas, would give the US leverage over both Russia and China. But Greenlanders have rejected the US’s proposal. The US has thus been reduced to an uninvited guest in Greenland.

R.S. Narula,
Patiala

Sir — J.D. Vance’s visit to Greenland has justifiably caused a stir. The prime minister of Greenland as well as the local populace have rejected the US’s agenda. But this rejection would hardly make any difference to Donald Trump who eyes Greenland as a profitable real estate.

Avinash Godboley,
Dewas, Madhya Pradesh

Mirror image

Sir — In “Hammer and tongs” (Mar 29), Asim Ali rightly argues that “The ultimate guardians of any democracy are its people.” Political representatives are elected by the populace itself. The growing intolerance among today’s political class can thus be viewed as a reflection of the conservativism entrenched in the populace.

A perfect example of this is the ascendance of the Bharatiya Janata Party. From being a fringe political entity in the 1980s it was catapulted to a national force after the demolition of the Babri Masjid by the Hindutva campaign. Thomas Jefferson’s quote, “The government you elect is the government you deserve”, is applicable in India’s case.

Kajal Chatterjee,
Calcutta

Sir — Asim Ali’s column, “Hammer and tongs”, is an erudite, insightful, succinct, and well-researched piece of writing on a comprehensive topic: the rule of law. As a lawyer, I have a professional obligation towards the notion of the rule of law. While I have no argument against Ali’s assertion, “The ultimate guardians of any democracy are its people”, I do believe that India is far from living that dream. Societal issues embedded in the citizenry at different dimensions, such as a general lack of awareness and civic education, are major roadblocks to fulfilling the promise of a utopian democracy.

Anshuman Chakraborty,
Wellington, New Zealand

Controversial pick

Sir — The Election Commission has picked Manoj Kumar Agarwal as the next chief electoral officer of West Bengal. Agarwal, who has previously served as the state food and supplies secretary, was shunted out by the Trinamool Congress government after asking officials to file a first information report over irregularities in the public distribution system. Agarwal’s nomination seems to have been done with an eye on the 2026 assembly elections, raising questions about the transparency of the selection process.

M.N. Gupta,
Hooghly

Pressure tactics

Sir — The Malayalam film, L2: Empuraan, has courted controversy for its depiction of the Gujarat riots (“Empuraan makers yield to hate cry”, Mar 30). Even though the film, helmed by the legendary actor, Mohanlal, was cleared by the censor board and released last week, an article in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh mouthpiece, Organiser, denounced the film for allegedly spreading an anti-Hindu narrative. This has led to the makers deciding to modify 17 scenes and mute the controversial dialogues in the film. Such post-release censorship makes a mockery of freedom of speech.

G. David Milton,
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Sir — Faced with growing resentment from the sangh parivar, the makers of L2: Empuraan have decided to make voluntary modifications to the film. The right-wing’s allegations that the film appeases anti-national elements and maligns Hinduism set a dangerous precedent for creative freedom.

Khokan Das,
Calcutta