Sir — The qualification of the 27-year-old fencer, Bhavani Devi, for the Tokyo Olympics — she is the first Indian to accomplish this — is an incredible achievement. Fencing, an elite sport, demands niche equipment and specialized coaching, both of which are difficult to come by in India. So far, very few Asian countries have broken into the upper echelons of this sport. Bhavani Devi’s pioneering foray into fencing heralds a new era in the world of Indian sports.

Anamika Saha,
Calcutta

For shame

Sir — The report, “Beasts we’ve enthroned” (March 14), represents the social and political scenario of New India under the Bharatiya Janata Party government in a nutshell. It is shameful that a young Muslim boy was allegedly slapped and kicked by one of the caretakers at the Dasna Devi Mandir in Dasna, Uttar Pradesh for drinking water at the shrine. The attacker seemed to want to establish the boy’s religion — he is seen asking the boy for his name and his father’s name on camera — before beating him. Tragically, many have expressed support for the accused and reviled the critics who condemned the assault and bigotry. This speaks volumes about the state of secularism in our country.

Be it this brutal incident in Dasna, the unlawful detention of the environmental activist, Disha Ravi, or the treatment of the hundreds of farmers protesting against the three agriculture bills on the borders of Delhi, all of these point to the sorry state of affairs in India. The bigotry of the ruling BJP government and its supporters are laid bare for all to see.

In the midst of this, it was good to read that Yashwant Sinha, formerly a Union minister of the BJP, has joined the Trinamul Congress before the 2021 assembly polls in West Bengal. It is hoped that the ordinary people of Bengal will make an informed choice and reject the BJP in the upcoming elections.

Jahar Saha,
Calcutta

Sir — It is worrying that the atrocities inflicted upon the minority and Dalit communities by Hindutva forces are increasing by the day. The idea of a secular India and its constitutional values have all been decimated. The recent incident — the thrashing of a young Muslim boy in Uttar Pradesh for daring to drink water from a temple — is one among many. These have become daily occurrences in New India. Whether it is caste atrocities, religious intolerance or crimes against women, Uttar Pradesh seems to be the centre of all such brutalities. The chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, should focus on the law and order situation in his own state before declaring West Bengal to be mired in lawlessness.

Kajal Chatterjee,
Calcutta

Sir — There is no doubt that BJP-ruled states have witnessed a significant rise in the number of attacks on religious minorities and Dalits. The people of Bengal must take note and vote against the saffron party in the upcoming elections.

Ria Sarkar,
Calcutta