Sir — Shopping malls, restaurants, hotels and places of worship are set to open gradually following the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown. Government guidelines for opening up such public places include controlling the number of visitors to malls and disallowing the touching of idols at religious places. Detailed rules have also been issued for offices that have reopened over the past few weeks. All establishments in containment zones will remain closed, as will cinema halls, gaming arcades and children’s play areas in malls. In spite of safety measures, however, it will still be risky to visit public places. It is better to stay indoors. Office goers must be the most careful.

Najibullah Qasmi,

Mumbai

Bad idea

Sir — It was both amusing and worrying to read about the solution provided by a professor in China to the country’s demographic problems caused by its one-child policy. Yew-Kwang Ng, who is a professor of economics at Fudan University, argued that China should allow the women in the country to have multiple husbands, ideally two. While some people have mistakenly construed the professor’s suggestion as one that foregrounds the rights of women in what is traditionally a patriarchal society, a closer reading of the article in which he expressed his views shows us that this is not the case. Yew-Kwang highlights China’s skewed sex ratio of 117 boys to every 100 girls to say that many Chinese men who want to get married now have trouble finding a wife. According to him, this means that “men’s physical and psychological needs are not met” — a ‘problem’ that is “bound to get worse in the future”.

The implication that men’s “needs” are of paramount importance in what is a national-level crisis is an abhorrent one. Why are women always expected to serve men, be it satisfying their physical demands or performing other kinds of labour? It is greatly heartening that Yew-Kwang’s views have garnered widespread condemnation, with people pointing out that he posits women as though they are objects to fulfil certain functions.

Kushal Banerji,

Calcutta

Sir — It was appalling to read the views of a Chinese professor on how to tackle his country’s population crisis caused by the official one-child policy. His suggestion that women should be allowed to have two husbands so that they can have more than one baby is not in favour of women. He seems to be greatly concerned about men’s inability to find wives, which is why he puts forth his theory. China’s birth rate is low, but does demeaning women in this manner solve that problem? It is especially worrying when highly-educated people like the professor, who are responsible for teaching others, express such views. Their educational qualifications unfortunately lend credibility to their views, thereby bolstering problematic ideas about gender and women’s rights.

Priyanka Nandi,

Calcutta

Speak up

Sir — It was eye-opening to read the report, “‘Mat karna!’ Don’t talk with Rahul even about motorbikes” (June 5), which highlights how impossible it has become even for powerful businessmen to be critical of the ruling dispensation at the Centre. The industrialist father-son duo, Rahul Bajaj and Rajiv Bajaj, are known for being forthright and do not like to mince their words. They have both been vocal in their criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led regime at different times. Their words should be taken as constructive criticism, especially since they have both contributed significantly to the country’s economic growth. It was good on the part of the parliamentarian, Rahul Gandhi, to engage in an open conversation with Rajiv Bajaj. Opposition leaders and all Indians have the right to hold differing views on how the pandemic and the economy are being managed. Why should they feel fearful about speaking freely?

It is a pity that both Rahul Gandhi and Rajiv Bajaj were advised not to speak with each other. The Narendra Modi government must engage with people who do not agree with it. It is high time it focused its energy on doing what is best for the country.

Bal Govind,

Noida