Fatal air
Sir — The cons of waking up early on winter mornings — leaving the comfort of the lep, stepping onto the cold floor and performing ablutions in cold water — far outweigh the pros. Now there is an additional excuse for sheetkature Bengalis to stay in bed and indoors longer. Calcutta’s air quality index has been breaching the 300 mark almost every day. This ‘very poor’ air — as weather apps call it — is usually at its worst in the morning. While Calcuttans once turned up their noses at Delhiites gasping for breath in winter, the infamous Delhi AQI is now on a par with that of Calcutta. Rumour has it that Bengali parents who once proclaimed that ‘fresh, morning air’ was a panacea for all evils are now looking for new excuses to get their children out of bed in winter.
Shovon Dasgupta, Calcutta
Outdated principles
Sir — The article, “Macaulay’s Minutemen” (Jan 26), is a scathing criticism of the gender stereotypes prevalent in workplaces and the increasing demand from employers for workers to dissociate from their families. The comment made by the Larsen & Toubro chief, S.N. Subrahmanyan, about staring at one’s spouse is nothing but laughable.
It is indeed time to boot out a corporate culture that reduces its employees to a faceless, gendered workforce bearing mere identification numbers, much like Raja in Rabindranath Tagore’s Raktakarabi did. People need to value their time with their families instead of mindlessly devoting their lives to their workplaces.
Debapriya Paul, Calcutta
Sir — Thomas Babington Macaulay had an enormous impact on the education of Indians during the British raj. While his education policy was designed for the benefit of the Crown, millions of tech leaders in our country adopt a similar approach to line their pockets. It is perplexing that the influences of India’s rich heritage of disseminating knowledge were forsaken in favour of rules mandated by a British officer who is hardly remembered by his own countrymen. Instead of recalling past horrors, we need to learn from our traditional practices. People like S.N. Subrahmanyan prefer that their employees stare at laptops than their wives. But such statements demonstrate their inherent misogyny.
Ravi Prakash, Patna
Sir — The remarks made by S.N. Subrahmanyan are insensitive and sexist. Working 90 hours a week can cause early burnout, depression and mental health issues. It will also lead to employees — especially men — shirking household responsibilities and putting the burden of domestic chores and childcare completely on women. In Japan, napping at work is acceptable due to the country’s gruelling work hours. Subrahmanyan can afford to work for 90 hours only because he receives a sizeable compensation.
Vinay Asawa, Howrah
Sir — India is undoubtedly still abiding by the colonial education system, which was created to produce loyalists and ensure hurdle-free, exploitative administration in India. Even after Independence, the mindset of exploiting staff has remained. Indians have participated in several global research projects and held important positions in various institutions. This should provide an incentive for our political leaders to improve our education system.
A.G. Rajmohan, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh
Under attack
Sir — The controversy over an exhibition of paintings by the eminent artist, M.F. Husain, at the Delhi Art Gallery points to the trend of judging art by societal yardsticks instead of artistic ones (“Easily hurt”, Jan 27). Last week, a Delhi court ordered the seizure of two paintings by Husain. The artist, a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, has been the subject of such controversies in the past. He had even left the country due to this. Non-conformist art and literature have been criticised for ‘hurting’ the sentiments of many. However, a country like India, with its diverse traditions, cannot abide by a single narrative in art, culture or history. Attacks on artists are driven by intolerance and bigotry. Freedom for artists is an essential feature of a modern society. The continued targeting of Husain in India is thus embarrassing.
Khokan Das, Calcutta
Sir — At the root of the criticisms against M.F. Husain’s paintings is intolerance. Artistic freedom involves free expression and should be considered part of citizens’ fundamental rights. In a democracy, artists should be free to practice their art.
S.S. Paul, Nadia
Unfair step
Sir — The unjust suspension of 10 Opposition leaders, including Asaduddin
Owaisi, Kalyan Banerjee and A. Raja, from the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the waqf (amendment) bill is disheartening (“The waqf wipeout”, Jan 25). With the Delhi polls around the corner, the Opposition has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre of deliberately hurrying the bill to generate communal tension. Since the BJP’s underwhelming performance in the 2024 general elections, the bill has been perceived as a desperate attempt to reignite majoritarian momentum. This bill’s primary objective is to scale down the Waqf Board’s role in property matters, paving the way for government interference in religious issues. At a time when Indians are facing various troubles at home and abroad, the BJP must put aside its divisive agendas and address issues that directly affect people’s lives.
Aayman Anwar Ali, Calcutta
Sir — A waqf property is an endowment made by a Muslim person for religious, educational or charitable purposes and cannot be taken over. The ruling BJP’s tactics to manipulate this provision are unfair and go against the principle of religious equality.
Murtaza Ahmad, Calcutta