The greater irony

Sir - Contrary to what the editorial, "The outsider" (Nov 10), says, the economy of the United States of America is getting better. The unemployment rate is down to 5.1 per cent, which is the lowest since March 2008. Jobs are being created, and Barack Obama has actually deported plenty of illegal immigrants. It is inexplicable why the Clinton camp did not make more of this.

As in the rest of Europe, in the US too, workers in industries that had formerly touched the commanding heights of the economy now feel left out. Their jobs, once secure, are now gone and it is too late to retrain. But that group alone could not have guaranteed Donald Trump's success. There is now lot of evidence to show that wealthy white voters also plumped for him. He may be an outsider in Washington, but he is in fact the classic 'insider', belonging to the rich man's club, which operates in New York and Florida. This is why this cohort had supported him - Trump had promised to reduce taxes. Hillary Clinton's support among the minority groups was less than that of President Obama. Besides, nothing could eradicate the impression that she was flawed and somehow corrupt, with ties to unsavoury nations and Wall Street bankers. A strong vein of misogyny cannot be ruled out as well. Added to which were the ill-judged intervention by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the rising costs of healthcare, and the constant leaking of the Democratic Party emails by WikiLeaks - possibly with Russian connivance.

Also, it is wise to remember that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by a small margin. But because of the 'winner takes it all' system of the electoral college, this did not give her a majority. The last time this happened was in the contest between Al Gore and George W. Bush. It is good also to remember that Trump has won by one of the smallest margins in recent years - he had just 276 votes and Clinton 218 when the former was declared the winner. The editorial says, "Donald Trump is not given to irony" - what an irony of history it is that the nation whose young men fought to save Europe from fascism should have elected a proto-fascist as the head of state.

Yours faithfully,
Dayita Datta,
Dehra Dun

Sweet victory

Sir - The Indian men's hockey team must be congratulated for winning the 2016 Asian Champions Trophy ("Indians hold nerves to claim title", Oct 31). India had won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2011. What made this victory especially sweet was the fact that India was able to defeat Pakistan, which had won last year's trophy. India also thrashed another Asian heavyweight, South Korea, in the semi final. The performance of India in hockey has been steadily improving. After a rather dismal show at the London Olympics in 2012, it did reasonably well at the Rio Olympics this year and reached the quarter finals. The Champions Trophy win will surely give a boost to Indian hockey.

Yours faithfully,
Ashok Kumar Ghosh,
Calcutta

Sir - The triumph of the Indian hockey team was the best Diwali gift for many Indians. We witnessed a heart-warming display of sporting spirit at a time of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. For sports lovers, this win is probably dearer than the fabulous performance of the cricketer, Amit Mishra, against the Kiwis, a day before. At the beginning of the match, India was at a disadvantage. P.R. Sreejesh, one of the best players, was out of the team because of a hamstring injury. But timely goals from Rupinder Pal Singh, Yousuf Affan and Nikkin Thimmaiah saved the day.

Yours faithfully,
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,
Faridabad

Too hot

Sir - The recent death of Dory, an 18-month-old Humboldt penguin, at Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan in Byculla, Mumbai, has come as a shock for all wildlife lovers. The bird reportedly died of a bacterial infection. It was a part of a waddle brought at a cost of Rs 2 crore. Air conditioners had been installed to maintain the weather conditions that the penguins are used to.

This amounts to a waste of public money. Penguins can hardly survive in the tropics. The zoo authorities should now try their best to ensure that the remaining penguins stay healthy.

Yours faithfully,
Vijay Dattatray Patil,
Pune

Wasteful carnivals

Sir - The procession on Red Road that was part of the immersion ceremony of this year's Durga Puja gave the state government yet another excuse to squander public money. It not only added to the woes of the people by causing traffic congestion but has also put an unnecessary burden on the exchequer. Soon there would be demands for taking out lavish processions for Kali Puja and other festivals. Should a government, which allegedly does not have the money to pay salaries, indulge in such wasteful expenditure every year?

Yours faithfully,
Rana Dutta,
Calcutta

Parting shot

Sir - Although smoking and drinking are banned inside railway compartments, some passengers continue to do both. There is no helpline to report against such people. The railway authorities must take strict action against passengers who flout the rules of travel.

Yours faithfully,
Labanya Sett,
Howrah