Reel trouble
Sir — Going viral online might be a dream come true for some but a nightmare for others. Recently, when an influencer posted a video of a woman at the Mahakumbh mela selling garlands, people became captivated by her beauty. So much so that mobs of men soon started tracking her down to harass her. Subsequently, she was forced to flee the mela and abandon her business. While people are often quick to blame women who are assaulted or harassed at parties or clubs, it seems that religious congregations — where millions of devout men flock to pray — are not safe spaces for women either.
Sunil Lahiri, Calcutta
In danger
Sir — Sevanti Ninan’s article, “Perilous profession” (Jan 20), should serve as a timely reminder to the government to protect press freedoms. Dictatorship begins with an attack on the freedom of expression. Intolerance of dissent marks the onset of dictatorship. The Indian media has already been blamed for dancing to the government’s tunes by openly supporting the ruling dispensation.
Politicians thrive on corruption. However, suppressing data will only anger people and result in them revolting against dictatorial regimes. This pattern has recently been seen in many countries. The fact that unbiased journalism is one way to prevent such a mob outburst eludes these politicians.
A.G. Rajmohan, Anantapur
Sir — The death of the reporter, Mukesh Chandrakar, proves that media persons at the grassroots fall prey either to State repression or to local mafias. In “Perilous profession”, Sevanti Ninan writes that killings, harassment, arrests and intimidation of both mainstream and citizen journalists in Chhattisgarh have been continuously reported since at least 2008.
Virtual journalism using social media platforms like YouTube and WhatsApp has become so prominent that people from both urban and rural areas have more faith in such reporters than in the administration or mainstream media houses. Media personnel deserve State protection.
Sukhendu Bhattacharjee, Hooghly
Sir — The murder of Mukesh Chandrakar has not created the kind of uproar and outrage that it should have. If electronic media will not stand up for one of its own, then who will? The nexus of corrupt government officials, police, politicians and local criminals makes it impossible to bring culprits to book. Reporting cases of corruption and exploitation of natural resources in development projects has led to the deaths of many journalists. While those working for mainstream, English media outlets have a modicum of protection, vernacular journalists with limited reach are left to fend for themselves.
Anthony Henriques, Mumbai
Dubious practice
Sir — The yoga guru, Baba Ramdev, is in legal trouble again as the Kerala High Court has issued an arrest warrant against him and his associate, Acharya Balakrishna, regarding misleading advertisements on Patanjali Ayurved’s healthcare products (“Arrest warrant on Ramdev”, Jan 19). Repeated controversies do not seem to deter this notorious duo from expanding their business to several sectors and manufacturing ayurvedic medicines, hygiene products, food and beverages, and cosmetics. Ramdev initially had a huge fanbase that admired his yoga skills. But his dubious business ventures are now making people steer clear of him. Ramdev needs to learn his lesson and stick to his forte to avoid further legal complications.
O. Prasada Rao, Hyderabad
Sir — Baba Ramdev has amassed a huge amount of wealth by selling ayurvedic wellness products under the brand name, Patanjali Ayurved. Ramdev’s bonhomie with the Bharatiya Janata Party is no secret. The Supreme Court’s refusal to accept the “unconditional apology” tendered by Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna is justified. The apex court rightly slammed the BJP government in Uttarakhand last year for its failure to take action against Patanjali and its subsidiary, Divya Pharmacy, despite numerous complaints of violation of the Drug and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act. The BJP’s favouritism towards such shady healthcare companies can cause a public health crisis.
S.S. Paul, Nadia
Go green
Sir — Consumers now have to be hyper-aware of the food that they consume daily and remain alert about the synthetic additives in it. Research to increase the shelf life of food has been going on for ages and must now address the issue of consumer safety. Natural preservatives can be a safer alternative as some of them can resist microbe growth without hampering our health. Business ventures need to join hands with science organisations to seize the opportunity to develop natural food preservatives and additives. However, while using plant resources, authorities have to be careful not to over-exploit them.
Saikat Kumar Basu, Calcutta