Sir — The article, “Dream collaborators” (Feb 8), by A. Raghuramaraju makes for enlightening reading. Perhaps the only Indian leader who understood M.K. Gandhi’s doctrines and philosophy fully was Rabindranath Tagore; between 1915 and 1941, Tagore and Gandhi exchanged a series of letters which were compiled in a book titled The Mahatma and the Poet: Letters and Debates Between Gandhi and Tagore 1915-1941.

These epistolary exchanges serve as frank and intimate portraits of two contemporaries who were friends as well as intellectual rivals, but who seldom differed on the matters regarding India’s freedom from the clutches of the British. Ironically, it was an Englishman, Charles Freer Andrews, who was the link between the two men and arranged their first-ever meeting at Santiniketan in March 1915. But there already existed a great sense of respect and admiration between the two.

Youngsters must explore and discuss the differences and similarities between Tagore and Gandhi and revisit their ideas and actions that shaped modern India and inspired people around the world.

Ranganathan Sivakumar,
Chennai

Breeding distrust

Sir — The Union home ministry’s call to citizens to become ‘cyber volunteers’ and identify, flag and report illegal, unlawful and ‘anti-national’ online content is perhaps the most brazen and dangerous sign yet of an attempt to turn our democratic and free society into a surveillance State. Vigilantism against the minorities and those who oppose the government in power at the Centre is already on the rise. The State has ignored, even patronized, this. But such an overt call to vigilantism was unexpected. This will have dangerous consequences for citizens’ rights and freedom. The Gestapo had civil informants and the Stalinist State, too, had a network of informers. Trust among citizens will be broken and we will live in fear of each other.

Shovanlal Chakraborty,
Calcutta

Risky behaviour

Sir — Denmark’s top court is hearing an appeal to decide if coughing at someone while shouting “corona” constitutes threatening behaviour. In India, where civic sense is rarer than common sense, coughing and sneezing at people is par for the course. The pandemic has done nothing to change that. Instead, people can be seen removing their mask, sneezing and then putting the mask back on. Beat that.

Roshni Sen,
Calcutta