Serious blunder

• Sir - Prince William put his foot firmly in his mouth at the opening of a Japanese culture centre in London. The royals asked the children at the event if they had eaten much Chinese food in their lifetimes. A while back, Britain's foreign minister, Jeremy Hunt, mistakenly called his Chinese wife Japanese while trying to curry favour with China. Now these may have been slips of the tongue - although how one forgets one's wife's origins is unimaginable - but they reveal a latent racism. This is especially worrying given that the royal family now has a member of colour amongst them.

Reshmi Desai,
Mumbai

Seek help

• Sir - Two articles in The Telegraph on September 13 evoked diametrically opposite feelings; one was "Women suicide rate alarm" and the other was "Reach out and check suicide". A study revealed that suicide among Indian women accounts for more than a third of such deaths globally. Suicide is also the main cause of death among Indians aged between 15 and 39. Moreover, Bengal tops in the number of people committing suicide in the age group of 15-30 years and is among the seven states with the highest suicide death rates among men and women. Such data are agonizing.

The reasons that drive people to commit suicide are varied. But each one of the reasons causes a person to feel helpless. Many believe that taking one's own life is an act of cowardice or even a sin. This shows that few understand the desperation that leads a person to take such a step. In this context, the work done by helplines like Lifeline is invaluable.

Attempted suicide has been decriminalized. Now it is society's turn to change. For instance, the way a survivor of a suicide attempt is treated can go a long way in deciding whether the person finds the will to live. A little bit of humanity and empathy can work wonders. One setback in life is not the end of the world. It is never too late to seek help or lend a helping hand.

Pramatha R. Bhattacharya,
Calcutta

• Sir - There is some talk - although nowhere close to enough - about how to help survivors of suicide attempts. But close to nothing is said about the close ones of the victim. Like mental illnesses, suicide affects not just the individual concerned but also his or her carers. The trauma of almost losing someone can leave an indelible mark on a person. It is very important that along with the victim, those closest to him or her seek medical help as well.

It is often key to show trust in a victim's ability to reach out and ask for help if suicidal thoughts resurface. Yet, for those who have witnessed a near one teeter on the verge of death, this trust does not come easily. Hovering over the victim, or constant surveillance can prove to be even more suffocating for an individual recovering from the mental trauma of committing suicide. The victim is seldom the only one who needs help.

Rima Roy,
Calcutta

Winners and losers

• Sir - Novak Djokovic has shown guts and determination by winning his third United States Open and 14th Grand Slam. He now has as many Grand Slam wins as Pete Sampras and is closer to reaching Roger Federer's record. In the final match of the US Open, the Serbian player played magnificently; his powerful service along with his courtcraft and baseliners could not be matched by the Argentinian, Juan Martín del Potro. Djokovic went on to win the match in straight sets.

It is a pity that Rafael Nadal got injured in the semi-finals and had to leave the tournament. Otherwise tennis fans could have been treated to another gruelling Nadal-Djokovic duel.

Indranil Sanyal,
Calcutta

• Sir - After making a brilliant comeback last year, Roger Federer is once again struggling in the big tennis championships. This is difficult for his fans to digest. The king of the backhand is no longer a front-runner and it is only a matter of time before Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic catch up with him.

Rohini Sen,
Calcutta