Journeys of the mind

Sir — The article, “Aladdin’s armchair” (Jan 26), by Uddalak Mukherjee took the readers on a flight aboard the proverbial magic carpet. Mukherjee referred to the fictional character, Sidhujyatha, as a proponent of a ‘cerebral life of immobility’. In real life, Rabindranath Tagore, who travelled across the globe, yearned for journeys of the mind — “Kothao amar hariye jawar nei mana, mone mone,” the poet had written. Mukherjee’s list of writers who wrote about places without having to travel also brought to mind James Hadley Chase, author of popular detective stories, who based many of his novels in America, even though he had not seen the country too much.

Sanjit Ghatak,
Calcutta

Laid bare

Sir — The New York Times article documenting how Israel reaped diplomatic benefits by selling Pegasus to various countries — India is allegedly among them — was shocking (“Pegasus treason finger at Modi”, Jan 30). Worse, India was included in the category of countries with “questionable records on human rights”. It is shameful that India, which was once reputed to be a protector of democracy and individual rights, has bartered its conscience to read the WhatsApp messages of its citizens.

Instead of investing in spyware, the government should look to buy agricultural technology from Israel. Advanced farming techniques and equipment sourced from Israel can lift millions out of poverty in India.

Abhilash Gupta,
Ghaziabad

Sir — The charges levelled by The New York Times article seem to be backed by solid facts. If the findings are true, the Indian government not only jeopardized citizens’ privacy but also violated the core principles of the Constitution. Shockingly, this subversion of democracy was done with public money. One eagerly awaits the results of the probe into the matter by the Supreme Court panel. National security is no excuse for spying on citizens.

Shayan Das,
Calcutta

Sir — The Supreme Court of India has tasked a panel to look into the Pegasus issue. As such, giving too much importance to The New York Times report would be unwise.

Sravana Ramachandran,
Chennai


Momentous win

Sir — Ashleigh Barty should be congratulated for her stellar win in the finals of the women’s singles of the Australian Open. Her brilliant drop shot, forehand and smash did not leave her opponent any ground to stand on. Although tense finals where the lead passes back and forth are enjoyable, Barty’s skills made the match a treat to watch. Her win was made extra special by the fact that she brought back the Australian Open women’s trophy Down Under after a gap of 44 years. If she keeps playing consistently, she has every chance of emerging as a leading light in women’s tennis.

Jayanta Datta,
Hooghly

Sir — The match between Danielle Collins from the United States of America and Ashleigh Barty from Australia was thrilling. Barty won without dropping a set. One could even go so far as to say that she resembled a young Serena Williams on the court. It is a moment of celebration for Australia and for Barty as winning on home ground is special for any sportsperson.

Kirti Wadhawan,
Kanpur

Sir — At the women’s singles final of the Australian Open, Ashleigh Barty had her full repertoire on display. The kick serve, the one-handed slice, two-handed drive backhands, the forehand dripping with heavy topspin, risky drop shots, opportune volleys, and the overhead. But the shot that was most exciting to watch was played during a practice session that was put out in a tweet. In it, Barty casually tucked the tennis ball off her hip, a textbook leg glance, pointed elbow and all. This shows how different sportspersons can influence each other in spite of the vastly different nature of their games.

Indranil Sanyal,
Calcutta


Safety first

Sir — The ministry of road transport has introduced a fire alarm protection system in passenger and school buses. This is encouraging. Studies on fire incidents indicate that injuries to passengers in fire accidents are caused primarily by heat and smoke in the compartment and the time taken for evacuation. Panicky passengers get trapped in the heavy smoke and flames that gut vehicles within minutes. In the new system, heat and smoke will be controlled by thermal management devices. A water mist will control the temperature. The ministry should now think of a similar system in all vehicles.

M. Pradyu,
Kannur

Scream the truth

Sir — The editorial, “Unfettered howl” (Jan 30), was thought-provoking. In Boston, a group of mothers, led by a therapist, gathered in a field and had a meltdown. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on their lives; they have had to bear the burden of office work, house chores and children. The editorial rightly said that mothers, especially of young children, who have been imprisoned at home for months are now ready to let go.

Ashok Kumar Ghosh,
Calcutta

Sir — American women have the luxury of letting go that their counterparts in India do not. Women here have to take care of husbands, who behave worse than children. They also have to put up with all kinds of abuse and torture silently in the interest of keeping up the sham of a united family. Things are slowly changing in urban India, but unfortunately not at the desired pace. Work from home has only exacerbated the suffering of women.

Anthony Henriques,
Mumbai