Shoal mentality
Sir — Misinformation is not unique to humans (“Fishy tales”, Dec 14). Researchers have shown that fish, flies and even bacteria can misread signals and pass on errors. In a school of fish, one wrong move can send everyone fleeing from an imaginary threat and losing a perfectly good meal. This happens because messages change as they travel through large networks. Noise and limited context play their part. Humans face the same problem, with one extra complication: intent. False claims about science, health or identity can cause real harm. The answer is simple. Slow down, check signals and resist blind following.
Anwesha Deshpande,
Calcutta
In poor light
Sir — Calcutta prides itself on its sporting culture and crowd management at high-voltage matches at the Salt Lake Stadium. That reputation took a blow at the event where people were to meet the Argentine football star, Lionel Messi (“Football fans’ festival turns farce amid fury”, Dec 14). Fans showed patience for hours and asked only for a goo glimpse of the footballer. What they witnessed instead was a VIP enclosure masquerading as a public event. Police personnel posing for photographs while spectators pleaded for order reflects misplaced priorities. Compensation and refunds are necessary, but they are not enough. Future events require clear protocols that put paying spectators first, not as an afterthought once disorder breaks out.
A.K. Srivastava,
Mumbai
Sir — The collapse of the event involving Lionel Messi at the Salt Lake Stadium exposes a basic failure of planning and respect for spectators. Thousands paid premium prices for a simple promise: a clear view of the footballer. That promise was broken the moment officials, politicians and organisers crowded around him. The anger that followed did not emerge from nowhere. It was fuelled by exclusion and silence. Arresting the organiser may satisfy public pressure but accountability must extend to permissions,
security planning and crowd control decisions taken by the administration itself.
P. Victor Selvaraj,
Chennai
Sir — The most disturbing aspect of the Lionel Messi fiasco was not the vandalism, but the sense of betrayal felt by families and children in the stands. Fans travelled long distances, paid inflated prices and waited patiently. They were denied even a fleeting view. Violence followed disappointment, not the other way round. Treating spectators as a controllable mass rather than stakeholders invites such outcomes. Event organisers must be held to transparent standards on ticketing claims, access design and crowd communication before permissions are granted.
Sreemoy Ghosh,
Calcutta
Sir — Turning a global sports icon’s visit into a spectacle for politicians undermined the very purpose of the event. Lionel Messi fulfilled his contractual commitment, yet the experience collapsed because visibility was sacrificed for proximity. This was not a security necessity; it was indulgence. Indian cities regularly host packed derbies without similar breakdowns. The lesson is simple. Star events need disciplined distance, not starstruck entourages. Without that restraint, celebrity appearances will continue to end in resentment, damage and public disorder.
Binita Singh,
Calcutta
Rich legacy
Sir — As I watched an old video of Pandit Ravi Shankar, I realised how the sitar’s legacy is being destroyed by some renowned musicians who opt for an electric version of the instrument. Anyone who has heard this instrument and enjoys listening to it knows that there is a stark difference in the sounds generated by the two. I am all for modernity but not at the cost of the profound legacy that Ustad Vilayat Khan and Pandit Ravi Shankar have left behind.
I was also a little taken aback when Ravi Shankar’s daughter decided to have her father’s sitar displayed at the British Museum.
Did the Indian government not want to retain this piece of heritage? But perhaps Anoushka Shankar would have had the final say over it since the instrument was passed down to her by her father.
I was happy to read on the British Museum’s website that Ravi Shankar’s 1961 sitar was made in Calcutta by the city-based instrument-maker, Nodu Mullick. To me, Calcutta is the city of music, the city which introduced me to the harmonium at Banichakra, where my father insisted I start learning classical music. It was also my father, Gyanendra Kumar Jha, who introduced me to the joy of listening to stalwarts like D.V. Paluskar and Bhimsen Joshi. Tapes of Ravi Shankar were often played at our rented house in Calcutta. Here is remembering Ravi Shankar on his recent death anniversary.
Sujata Jha,
New Delhi
Sir — Anoushka Shankar’s recent account of her sitar being damaged by an airline raises serious questions about how airlines treat fragile cultural instruments. A sitar is not ordinary baggage. It is shaped by craftsmanship and time. Paying a handling fee and using a hard case should guarantee basic care.
Shreya Basu,
Nainital