Diversionary tactic

Sir — It is always encouraging to get glimpses of humour in Parliament given how low parliamentary discourse has sunk in recent times. The chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankhar, recently teased the Aam Aadmi Party member of Parliament, Raghav Chadha, about rumours that the latter is dating the actress, Parineeti Chopra. This would have been fine had the chairman not used this humour to dismiss Chadha’s request to discuss the matter of the fugitive businessman, Mehul Choksi. What has Chadha’s personal life or the paparazzi’s obsession with it got to do with serious parliamentary discussion?

Prakriti Palit, Calcutta

Promises belied

Sir — Assam has been ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies since 2016. Big promises were made about bringing investments to the state. But none of these has been fulfilled. Instead, a host of public industries were closed as they failed to get assistance from the government. BJP governments, both in the state and at the Centre, are more interested in promoting private businesses. The chief minister of Assam should be held responsible for the job losses in the government sector.

A.K. Chakraborty, Guwahati

Baseless charge

Sir — Little has changed when it comes to saffron parties in India questioning the credentials of M.K. Gandhi. This time, it is the lieutenant-governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, who claimed that while the Mahatma practised law, he did not have a degree in it. He added that Gandhi did not have any university degree at all.

One does not know who Sinha is trying to fool, but it is public knowledge that Gandhi graduated from the University College London with a law degree. There are proper records of this unlike with some Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.

Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur

Careless speech

„Sir — I am aghast at the way in which some members of a religious community make irresponsible statements, leading to communal conflagrations (“Cow urine to ‘purify’ azaan protest spot”, March 22). Some sangh parivar activists purified the entrance to the office of the deputy commissioner in Shimoga, Karnataka, with cow urine after a Muslim youth recited the azaan there. The youth was protesting an objectionable comment regarding the azaan by a Bharatiya Janata Party leader.

There are two sides to this. First, prayers recited on loudspeakers can be a nuisance, irrespective of community. But, at the same time, making blanket statements about a religious community is uncalled for. Even worse is the targeting of just one community which is increasingly common in India these days.

Prabhakar Bhattacharya, North 24 Parganas

Sense the irony

Sir — China is leading the Global Security Initiative, which seeks to counter the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States of America and the Quad. The GSI insists on mutual respect, openness and inclusion, mutual benefit and multilateralism, among other things. It is ironic that China fails to comply with all of these ideals. Its effort to build diplomatic bridges between Asian countries will require more than simply setting lofty goals and setting up the GSI. In fact, China itself remains the biggest threat to bonhomies in the region because of its expansionist mentality.

Kirti Wadhawan, Kanpur

Anonymous bullies

Sir — The article, “Toxic orchestra” (Mar 24), pointed out that trolls have become an inseparable part of our lives, whether on or off social media. Rumour has it that trolls are paid per post, but ideologically motivated people are ready to go into the offensive even without monetary compensation. A troll is a bully who hides behind the anonymity and protection of the internet. Although it is best to simply ignore them, the internet is increasingly becoming a disturbing place for people.

Anthony Henriques, Mumbai

Take care

Sir — People with diabetes can often get serious foot complications. Regular check-ups and self-care can help patients prevent these problems. Patients must wash their feet with warm water and apply creams to avoid skin cracks. It is advisable to wear slippers even inside the house. The feet must be checked every day for any sign of infection. Early treatment reduces the risk of amputation.

These steps can also help patients who have cancer — foot infections can easily result in graver complications. Asking a family member for help while checking for redness, cuts, sores or blisters on the feet might be the best bet for those who cannot do it themselves.

C.K. Subramaniam, Navi Mumbai

Parting shot

Sir — The government is not transferring the benefits incurred from the reduction in the price of crude oil to consumers. What is intriguing is that people are not protesting against this.

K. Nehru Patnaik, Visakhapatnam