Radical response

Sir — The victory of Donald Trump in the presidential elections has exposed an utterly divisive America. While a majority of Americans have been celebrating, a significant chunk of liberal women voters are enraged to have a person charged with sexual abuse and responsible for overturning the abortion rights law leading the country again. In response, they have sought refuge in 4B, a fringe, feminist South Korean movement that advocates swearing off men and rejecting heterosexual dating, sexual relationships, marriage and childbirth. While it is too early to say whether 4B will have an impact on America’s politics, one hopes that it will inspire women to exercise their agency in a country where the pro-life movement is gaining currency.

Snigdha Jain, Boston

Divisive rhetoric

Sir — The slogans, ‘Batenge toh katenge’ and ‘Ek hain toh safe hain’ — an indirect warning to Hindus to remain united or risk being slaughtered — are being aggressively pushed by the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of elections in several states. These divisive slogans are meant to create divisions within the electorate and have discomfited even its allies in Maharashtra.

Come election and the saffron party can be trusted to fall back on its usual methods of communal polarisation. For instance, the Union home minister, Amit Shah, has warned voters that if the Maha Vikas Aghadi wins the assembly election, it would not only transfer lands belonging to farmers to waqf boards but also provide reservations to Muslims.

G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Sir — ‘Batenge toh katenge’ and ‘Ek rahoge toh nek rahoge’ are slogans that are part of the BJP’s political strategy to consolidate the Hindu vote bank. Such slogans, which urge Hindus to stay united or else risk being slaughtered by the minority, are meant to foment Islamophobic sentiments. The BJP is bent on creating a false sense of victimhood among the Hindus instead of making the community more confident and secure.

The kind of Hindu unity being desired by the BJP and its ideological mothership, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, must be interrogated. Is it the kind that led to the demolition of the Babri Masjid? Hindus should scrutinise the real intention of the BJP and not fall prey to its divisive rhetoric.

Zakir Hussain, Kazipet, Telangana

Sir — In his column, “Multiple motives” (Nov 15), Hilal Ahmed discusses what constitutes Hindu identity in India today and deliberates on the politicisation of the Hindu identity by the Establishment. He uses data from several surveys to argue about the plurality in the Hindu identity. Ahmed’s observations should prompt introspection in both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the INDIA bloc.

K. Nehru Patnaik, Visakhapatnam

Sir — Hilal Ahmed touches upon the motives of the Hindutva project. The long-term objectives of Hindutva have not been realised even in the heartland. Slogans like ‘Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan’ are short-lived. Secularism will continue to be the undercurrent of the Indian polity.

T. Ramadas, Visakhapatnam

Controversial pick

Sir — Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States of America, has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr as the secretary of health and human services (“Team chaos”, Nov 19). Trump’s choice has justifiably sparked concerns. Kennedy Jr is a notorious vaccine-sceptic and has been accused of spreading disinformation about healthcare. If his nomination is confirmed by the Senate, he will lead a crucial portfolio that oversees food safety, medical research and welfare programmes.

Kennedy Jr’s problematic stance on health issues, including his assertion that modern vaccines are responsible for the rise of autism diagnoses, and his staunch opposition to the Covid-19 vaccine pose him as a danger to global health.

Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur

Rogue state

Sir — Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza and its refusal to allow the flow of humanitarian aid into the territory have turned the region into a black hole. Tel Aviv has been carrying out attacks in Gaza under the guise of fighting against terror which, in reality, is a genocide of Palestinians.

That the global superpowers have failed to stop the killings in Gaza is a matter of shame. International agencies like the United Nations and its affiliated bodies have proven to be ineffective and lacking in the muscle to rein in a rogue State like Israel.

S. Kamat, Mysuru

Fun learning

Sir — The rise in digitisation has shaped the expression of emotions and feelings through emoticons. It is thus unsurprising that schools are increasingly incorporating emojis in their curricula. Several schools in Kochi have introduced emojis and stars as a stress-free methodology to assess young learners, replacing traditional grades. The initiative is in line with the National Education Policy, which advocates for concept-based, holistic learning. But this needs to be standardised in education centres across the country.

Vijay Singh Adhikari, Nainital

Lyrical portrayal

Sir — Uma Dasgupta, who essayed the role of Durga in Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali, passed away on Monday (“7 decades after Pather Panchali, Ray’s Durga dies”, Nov 19). Durga’s death in the film is heartbreaking and is one of the most poignant moments on celluloid. Dasgupta, then only 14 years old, created an impression with her hauntingly lyrical performance. Even though she never acted in any other film, she will be remembered as one of the finest actors by film aficionados across the globe.

Manas Mukhopadhyay, Hooghly