Sir — It was astonishing to hear that the net worth of Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, increased by $13 billion in one day, the biggest jump since the creation of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. As people around the world face a severe economic crisis with massive job cuts, tech giants seem to be gaining financially. Experts have long advocated for a progressive tax system with certain administrations already taking measures to tax big businesses more. The pandemic has exposed the failure of governments to tackle a health and economic crisis. Taxing the uber-rich proportionately could be a step towards rectifying the gap.
Richa Trivedi,
Calcutta
Red flags
Sir — Most nations around the world are increasingly inching towards the far Right, with some States like China, Russia and Turkey becoming totalitarian while others selectively destroy democratic traditions (“Weak spot”, July 24). Several political leaders and parties in many countries have, unfortunately, illustrated that the way to political longevity is through a combination of authoritarianism and conservative policies under a thin veneer of democracy.
Turkey, under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has moved away from the secular vision of its first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, paving the way for religious conservatism. The recent reconversion of the Hagia Sophia, a monument with a rich multicultural history, from a museum to a mosque reminded one of the religious strife in our own country that led to the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya for supposedly being constructed at the site of a Ram temple.
The United States of America, which has been a world leader for much of the last century, is now facing an unprecedented political crisis. The disposition of the US president, Donald Trump, is quite similar to that of the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi. Their tenures so far have been plagued with comparable problems. Both leaders represent a conservative section of the electorate whose demands often come at the expense of the vulnerable.
As strongman leaders take up positions of power in various countries, the political situation, as can be witnessed in the face-off between India and China, is increasingly becoming antagonistic. One hopes that the Bharatiya Janata Party, in its relentless quest for power, does not dilute the democratic vision of the founding fathers of India.
R. Narayanan,
Navi Mumbai
Sir — The changing dynamics between India and its neighbours, along with the country’s proximity with the US have grave implications for international politics. India’s disregard for the issues of its long-term allies is alarming. The abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and the partitioning of the erstwhile state into two separate Union territories was viewed unfavourably by China and Pakistan. However, the Indian government refused to discuss the issue on a global platform, arguing that it was an internal matter.
It is unfortunate that while we are battling a pandemic, the political situation has flared up in the border areas. The matter cannot be neglected, but it must be pointed out that it is the failures of the political leadership and intelligence organizations that have led to this escalation. The situation in Kashmir, too, must be resolved at the earliest. It is a shame that Kashmiris still do not have unrestricted access to the internet.
India’s worsening diplomatic relations with China and Pakistan cannot be viewed in isolation from the BJP’s domestic policies. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens have deeply polarized the country and led to the arrests of several students and activists. The democratic ethos of our country will be lost if the ordinary people are afraid of criticizing the government for fear of being charged with sedition. The political leadership must rethink its strategies at this point.
Jaspreet Singh,
Patiala
Last dance
Sir — The passing away of Amala Shankar, the legendary danseuse and choreographer, marks the end of an era (“Amala Shankar passes away at 101”, July 25). She, along with her husband, Uday Shankar, played a key role in modernizing traditional Indian dance forms on the global stage. Shankar had a long and successful career that began in Paris when she was an 11-year-old, and she continued to be active till she was 92, taking part in a final piece, Missing You, composed by her son, Ananda Shankar.
Interestingly, it was Subhas Chandra Bose — he saw her perform with Jnan Prakash Ghosh on the tabla and Dilip Roy on vocals — who recommended that her father send her to Uday Shankar’s dance centre in Almora. In 1948, she played the lead role in the experimental dance film, Kalpana. Although the film did not do well at the box office, Satyajit Ray was said to have watched it 11 times.
Shankar had a graceful and luminous stage presence, and was an inspiration to many young Indian women who could never dream of performing in public or in front of the camera in the 1930s and 1940s. She was also a fine painter, working primarily with her fingers and had a solo exhibition in 2013. Her death has left an irreplaceable void in the field of arts and culture.
Khokan Das,
Calcutta
Sir — The demise of the legendary dancer, Amala Shankar, is a great loss for our country. Not only was she a remarkable danseuse but also a fine actress. She mesmerized the world with her performance in Kalpana. She will also be remembered as a writer — she released her formerly-serialized biographical reminiscences, Shankarnama, last year — and a painter. Her legacy will live on through her exceptional and vast body of work.
Sourish Misra,
Calcutta
