Invisible evil

Sir — With retail inflation hitting an all-time high in India, the prices of most commodities have shot through the roof, forcing people to cut down on their household budget. However, an invisible form of inflation has also been making its presence felt in the market: ‘shrinkflation’ is a covert practice wherein companies reduce the size or quantity of products without changing prices. But shrinkflation is not necessarily a recent phenomenon. Be it in restaurants serving tiny portions of food or packets having more air than chips or thinning soft drink bottles, shrinkflation has been around for a while. The only option before consumers, then, is to change purchasing habits, forsake brand loyalty and opt for cheaper alternatives.

Namrata Dutta, Hyderabad

Take stock

Sir — After banning the export of wheat in May, India has now imposed partial restrictions on the trade in rice. This move comes amidst apprehensions of low harvest as a result of insufficient monsoonal rains and damages to paddy plantations in Haryana and Punjab caused by the southern rice blackstreaked dwarf virus. However, the Centre has allowed the export of basmati and parboiled rice. The first is a premium variety and the latter is exported primarily to poorer countries in need of nutrition. Since India is the biggest exporter of rice in the world, the curbs will cause an imbalance in the global market. Moreover, it will also deny Indian farmers and traders an opportunity to make a profit. An increased tariff on exports could have been a more suitable alternative.

S.S. Paul, Nadia

Sir — While it is heartening that the government has imposed a 20 per cent export duty on some rice varieties to boost domestic supplies, the grim reality is that Indian agricultural policy is less than sound. It is plagued by ad hocism, poor market intelligence and a lack of proper production estimates. Credible and transparent policymaking are needed to ensure food security.

M. Jeyaram, Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu

Sir — The export of broken rice, which is used primarily for animal feed, increased by 4178 per cent in the last quarter. As such, the ban on its export is a mistake.

Sagar Chaudhary, Bhopal

Path ahead

Sir — The Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and deputy chief minister of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, has suggested that the Congress should allow regional parties to be in the driving seat in the states in order to bolster the fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party. He also highlighted that since Congress is still the largest Opposition party, its role will be crucial in forming a joint front against the saffron party for the 2024 general elections. This is a reasonable strategy. The Congress has an opportunity to get its house in order with the upcoming party presidential election and the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Time will tell how the Grand Old Party will fare in the 2024 general elections.

D.V.G. Sankararao, Nellimarla, Andhra Pradesh

Sharp rebuttal

Sir — A performance of the stand-up comic, Kunal Kamra, in Gurgaon was cancelled recently owing to protests from the Vishva Hindu Parishad, which has accused the artist of mocking the Hindu culture. In response, Kamra has written an open letter declaring himself to be a devout Hindu and challenging the VHP to present any video or other evidence which shows him disrespecting Hindu deities. He has also dared the group to publicly denounce Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin, Nathuram Godse — known to be a revered figure for the sangh parivar — in order to prove its patriotism (“Kamra’s test for VHP: Write ‘Godse murdabad’”, Sept 12). By presenting the VHP with this dilemma, Kamra seems to have hit the saffron outfit where it hurts.

Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai

Double trouble

Sir — Even before Covid-19 has been tackled completely, cases of dengue — also a viral disease — are on the rise in West Bengal. Over 800 dengue cases have been reported from Calcutta alone this year and five people in the city have lost their lives to it in the last 10 days. The disproportionate focus on fighting the coronavirus has had an impact on precautionary measures against seasonal outbreaks such as dengue. Scanty rainfall and extreme humidity have provided favourable conditions for the breeding of dengue-causing mosquitoes. Civic officials must be on high alert — vector-control teams must visit localities prone to dengue more regularly and the accumulation of water must be checked. Areas reporting a higher rate of infection should be prioritised.

Khokan Das, Calcutta

Fishy affair

Sir — The article, “Piscean power” (Sept 12), by Nitin Sangwan highlights the urgent need to revitalise the fisheries sector. Sangwan draws attention to the fact that this sector is yet to undergo any significant change, unlike the agricultural one, which saw outputs increase as a result of the Green Revolution. Fisheries play an integral role in providing nutritional security as well as economic opportunities. Yet, the aquaculture resources and inland reservoirs of the country remain largely under-utilised. Moreover, increasing water pollution has led to a dwindling of the fish population. The government must invest in modernising aquaculture to minimise malnutrition in the country.

Tapomoy Ghosh, East Burdwan

Sir — Overfishing combined with the alteration of, and dredging at, river mouths and estuaries have greatly disturbed the marine ecosystem. Additionally, climate change is also affecting the fish population. The government must wake up to these challenges.

Sumedha Singh, Kanpur