Modern love
Sir — Romantic attachment with Artificial Intelligence is now commonplace. A Reddit user revealed that she recently got engaged to her AI chatbot partner, Kasper, after dating for five months. Apparently, Kasper popped the question on a recent trip to the mountains and even assisted her in selecting the ring. But during the proposal, she pretended that she had not seen the ring before. While romance with AI can lead to unrealistic expectations and create love traps, Kaspar might just be the perfect boyfriend — not only can he travel the world for free with his girlfriend but will also agree to everything she says.
Nikhil Basu,
Ahmedabad
Notions of freedom
Sir — As we celebrate the 78th anniversary of Independence, it is important to assess the current state of freedom in India. Recent allegations of “vote chori” made by the Opposition have raised doubts about the sanctity of elections. This leads us to ponder the importance of the independence, impartiality and integrity of constitutional institutions.
The secular vision of the founding fathers has been blurred and blunted by the encroachment of religion into politics, the equation of nationalism with religion and the repudiation of the notion of equality of religions. The Hindu Right has succeeded in imposing its ideology on society. India’s hard-won political freedom has not brought social and economic justice to the impoverished multitudes.
G. David Milton,
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
Sir — Seventy-eight years ago, our nation broke free from colonial rule with dreams of unity, prosperity, and justice. While India has made great progress since then, we still face pressing challenges like identity-based divisions, economic inequality, corruption, and a lack of equal opportunities.
The time has come to rise above sectarianism, ensure equitable growth, and embrace diversity as our greatest strength. We must invest in education that nurtures free minds. Let the coming years be dedicated to building a fair, peaceful, and truly inclusive India.
Md. Sabir Hussain,
Arrah, Bihar
Sir — The celebration of Independence Day is a national ritual. But do people consider its significance anymore? The importance of freedom can be better understood by learning about the status of life under the clutches of the British rulers. This day is an occasion to remember those who sacrificed their lives during the freedom struggle so that future generations of Indians could live peacefully. The only duty that is expected of the present generation of Indians is to vote judiciously and elect the right people for the job.
A.G. Rajmohan,
Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh
An outlier
Sir — Saikat Majumdar’s article, “Bharat vs Bangla” (Aug 13), discusses the unexpected and unfortunate metamorphosis of the term, Bangla, to “Bangladeshi”. The Indian Constitution
recognises Bengali as an official language. Bengalis played a significant role in the freedom movement. Yet, Bengal has remained an outlier. Sectarianism and populism have led to the recent hostilities against Bengali migrants living in different parts of India.
Prasun Kumar Dutta,
West Midnapore
Reformist vision
Sir — Under-trials comprise more than 70% of Indian prisoners; out of this, nearly 50% of prisoners are aged between 18 and 30. These individuals possess the strength to work and contribute to society. The government should enact laws to allow prisoners in this age bracket who are being held for minor offences to contribute to developmental work. This would not only help in getting extra hands for the nation’s development and reduce prison expenses but also instil a sense of purpose in prisoners.
Sreemoy Ghose,
Jamshedpur
