Age of wisdom

Sir — Society often treats youth like the only metric that matters. This yardstick is used with particular severity when it comes to women. They are pressured to appear young and may feel irrelevant as they age. But a recent study offers a counternarrative. Researchers at the University of Western Australia have found that women’s brains do not peak until their late 50s. This implies that women are not past their prime at midlife. Instead, they enter a phase of deeper clarity and discernment. The next time a woman hesitates to reveal her age, she must instead regard it as a marker of cognitive strength and state it with confidence.

Sudipa Basak,
Calcutta

Political tune

Sir — India is a diverse nation. The lyrics of “Jana Gana Mana”, our national anthem written by Rabindranath Tagore, reflect India’s vast geography, composite culture and enduring spirit of unity. “Vande Mataram”, composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and designated as the national song, served as a stirring rallying cry during the freedom struggle. The recent directive by the Union government asking states to ensure that “Vande Mataram” is sung before the national anthem at public functions thus appears unnecessary (“Govt sets Vande tone”, Feb 12).

P. Victor Selvaraj,
Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu

Sir — The instruction by the Union home ministry to play “Vande Mataram” before the national anthem has sparked debate in Bengal. Decades after Independence, the sudden emphasis on this sequence appears less an act of cultural reverence and more a matter of political timing. By invoking Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s hymn alongside Rabindranath Tagore’s “Jana Gana Mana”, the ruling party at the Centre appears to be creating a symbolic contest that risks dividing and deepening existing polarisation rather than uniting people. With the Bengal assembly election approaching, such gestures are unlikely to be perceived as politically neutral.

Dhananjay Sinha,
Calcutta

Sir — The Centre’s diktat about singing all six stanzas of “Vande Mataram” runs counter to the wisdom of the Constituent Assembly, which anointed only the first two stanzas of the poem as the national song. Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Jawaharlal Nehru of truncating “Vande Mataram” at the behest of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. This claim does not withstand historical scrutiny.

Sugata Bose notes that it was Rabindranath Tagore who advised that only the first two stanzas of “Vande Mataram” be sung at Congress gatherings since later portions invoking Goddess Durga would be inappropriate for a national platform of diverse religious communities. The Centre’s move is an assertion of majoritarian sentiment at the expense of national unity.

S.K. Choudhury,
Bengaluru

Sir — “Vande Mataram” became a powerful rallying cry against colonial rule. The Centre’s guidelines providing for the rendition of all six stanzas of the national song at official functions and requiring attendees to stand during its performance underscore respect for the song’s historical and emotional significance.

Vishal Mayur,
Hyderabad

Sir — I was not surprised to read that the Union home ministry has directed that all six stanzas of “Vande Mataram” be sung before the national anthem at public functions with claims that Jawaharlal Nehru’s government curtailed the song to preserve its “secular” appeal. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s effort to project itself as the principal custodian of patriotism is part of a broader attempt to decolonise Indian history and move beyond what it describes as decades of Nehruvian dominance in public memory.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,
Faridabad

Deep crisis

Sir — The Washington Post has laid off nearly a third of its workforce. Once a pillar of American journalism, the Post lost about $100 million in 2022. Since then, the newspaper has been struggling to regain stability through multiple rounds of layoffs and buyouts, all the while struggling with controversial editorial decisions made by its billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos. This is a huge setback for the 148-year-old newspaper that is synonymous with investigative rigour and accountability.

Ranganathan Sivakumar,
Chennai

Firm verdict

Sir — Sanae Takaichi’s victory in the snap elections is historic (“Tokyo first”, Feb 11). Securing a clear mandate at a time when Japan is contending with a weakening yen and political turbulence suggests that the public is seeking firmness amid uncertainty. Takaichi’s effort to carry forward the legacy of Shinzo Abe assumes significance. Whether she can steer Japan away from mismanagement remains to be seen.

Vijay Singh Adhikari,
Nainital

Sir — Japan’s first woman prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has won her gamble of calling a snap election. Her party’s decisive majority signals a welcome phase of stability for Japan.

Bal Govind,
Noida