Wrong idea

• Sir - While addressing college-going volunteers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Indore recently, the RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat, said that the term, 'Hindu', "covers all those who are the sons of Bharat Mata, descendants of Indian ancestors and who live in accordance with Indian culture". Was there any need in saying something like this? Every citizen of India is proud of their nation. They do not need to be reminded over and over again about whether they are Hindu or not.

Moreover, anyone who holds valid citizenship here is an Indian, not a 'Hindu'. This is simply because being 'Indian' implies one's nationality, while being 'Hindu' indicates a person's religious identity. The RSS is well known for forcing its misplaced sense of patriotism on citizens while consistently undermining India's socio-cultural diversity.

Abhishek Pandey,

Calcutta

Super food

• Sir - The editorial, "Impeccable kedgeree" (Nov 4), was interesting. Khichdi, a mix of rice with pulses and vegetables has been honoured by the Central government as a 'Brand India Food', and may be promoted as India's 'national dish' in due course of time. Questions are being raised about why khichdi should be chosen over other popular dishes like biryani. Some may even ask why food items like the idli or dosa were not picked. But khichdi can, arguably, be called the most versatile dish for a number of reasons. Various communities prepare the delicious item during their festivals. It is also served to recuperating patients. I worked for a while in a neighbouring state; a paediatric doctor in the company hospital used to recommend plain khichdi as a lunch item when my child fell ill.

A more reasonable way to ascertain what Indians want is to conduct a nation-wide SMS contest; the dish that gets the most number of votes by text message wins the honour.

Ashok Kumar Ghosh,

Calcutta

• Sir - Khichdi consists of food items that are considered staples in India. Now that the dish is in the spotlight, it is probable that in the near future the market will be flooded with readymade, packaged khichdi. The common people might actually suffer more, as the prices of the main ingredients, namely rice and lentils, will rise as the companies producing the packaged product will buy them up in bulk. The concentration on only two agricultural products will create havoc in the market.

Almost all the seemingly progressive plans implemented by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, have turned out to be detrimental to the interests of ordinary citizens. If khichdi were to be promoted as India's national dish, would that too make things even more difficult for the people?

Asit Kumar Mitra,

Calcutta

• Sir - Khichdi is a very popular dish, especially with Bengalis. The idea of eating a plate of piping hot khichudi with ghee, ilish maachh and aloo bhaja or begoon bhaja on a rainy day can excite any member of the community. The best thing about the dish is its versatility. One can add different kinds of vegetables to the preparation to tailor it to an individual's taste. It can also be very filling, thus negating the need to prepare multiple food items. As such, it is a boon for busy professionals who are always in a hurry and do not have time to cook elaborate meals.

Malini Bose,

Calcutta

Act now

• Sir - Unlike in the past, the Jagadhatri Puja celebrations this year had spread to many new localities. As a result of this, the sound pollution levels had also far exceeded the legal limit. Politicians support the lengthening of the festive season in order to keep their followers in good spirits. If such festivities are allowed to grow in number each year, along with the unchecked usage of microphones even after midnight, it will adversely affect the general health of the city's residents, especially the ill and the elderly.

The situation becomes even more unbearable during the immersion of the idols, when large numbers of revellers take part in the processions. They burst loud crackers and play deafening music. Strangely, there is little effort by the state administration to ensure that people adhere to the decibel limits. If the police are to remain meek spectators while laws are blatantly violated, then of what use are they? The police force is maintained with the help of taxpayers' money.

If the situation does not improve, a time may come when enforcing any law will be a challenging task. Strict restrictions must be imposed on pujas around the city.

Srikanta Bhattacharjee,

Calcutta

Great player

• Sir - The South African batsman, David Miller, deserves to be congratulated for scoring the fastest century in the history of Twenty20 international cricket ("Miller: Special knock", Oct 30). He scored a hundred runs off a mere 35 deliveries. Not only did his feat put him in the record books, but it also helped South Africa win the match and the series against Bangladesh.

Sourish Misra,

Calcutta