Go bananas

Sir — It is one thing to be ignorant about art and quite another to chomp it down because one is ‘hungry’. A student from Seoul National University recently gobbled down a famous artwork by the Italian artist, Maurizio Cattelan. In defence of the vandal, it was a banana taped to a wall. While it may seem strange that a viewer would not only nonchalantly pluck off an artwork and devour it but also tape the peel back on the wall, perhaps the stranger thing is that the banana on the wall, titled Comedian, was sold for $120,000 in 2019. It went viral because of the debates that it provoked. The common man who buys a banana or two for lunch during a rushed workday would go bananas over the idea of the fruit fetching such an astronomical sum.

S.S. Chaudhuri,East Midnapore

Showman

Sir — The 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat, the radio talk show of the prime minister, Narendra Modi, was broadcast at the United Nations’ headquarters on April 30 (“Modi celebrates century of his Mann Ki Baat”, May 1). In it, Modi claimed that his schemes have turned into mass movements without actual data to support his statements.

It is also difficult to miss the irony in the show’s name — after all, the prime minister has little regard for the mann ki baat of Indian citizens. He regularly avoids questions regarding his proximity to the businessman, Gautam Adani, or those on increased fuel costs, high unemployment rates, the rise in communal violence and so on. Modi should pay heed to these questions instead of making false claims.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,Faridabad

Sir — The prime minister’s radio show, Mann Ki Baat, has completed 100 episodes and reached over 100 crore people. It is indisputable that Narendra Modi is a communications czar who has weaponised mass media since assuming office in 2014. Yet, he continues to be the only prime minister of India who has never addressed a full press conference.

Khokan Das,Calcutta

Sir — While it is okay to celebrate the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat, it is hard to believe that it has really “built bridges” between the aam aadmi and the government, as was stated by the home minister, Amit Shah. It is a matter of concern that the prime minister never speaks about pressing issues like inflation and unemployment in this show.

Moreover, the programme being broadcast at the UN headquarters is nothing but propaganda. Given that the mann ki baat of the people remains unheard, there is no reason to rejoice in the show’s century.

M.C. Vijai Shanker,Chennai

Easy access

Sir — The initiative by the Andhra Pradesh government to create a caste database, which will ease the process of obtaining caste certificates for needy students is praiseworthy. Students often lose valuable academic years while waiting for such certificates. Ensuring hassle-free education is a responsibility of the State.

D.V.G. Sankararao,Andhra Pradesh

Negligent attitude

Sir — At least 11 people have died and several have been injured in a gas leak in Ludhiana (“Toxic gas kills 11 in Ludhiana”, May 1). Accidents caused by industrial gas leaks in populated areas are not novel. The negligence of the Punjab Pollution Control Board in this matter must be investigated.

Jayanta Datta,Hooghly

Drying up

Sir — India suffers from significant water scarcity every summer. More than 6% of the country’s 1.4 billion people lack access to safe, potable water. Levels of groundwater, a major source of irrigation and domestic water supply, have fallen precariously due to over-exploitation. Problems surrounding water scarcity must be addressed with seriousness and urgency.

Ranganathan Sivakumar,Chennai

Timely ban

Sir — It is heartening that Central intelligence agencies have identified 14 mobile applications that were being used by terrorists and their affiliates in Jammu and Kashmir. The ministry of home affairs has banned apps, such as Wickrme, Mediafire, Briar, BChat and Second line, among others, under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Most of these apps provide users with anonymity that allows them to engage in activities that can imperil the country’s security.

Vijay Kumar H.K.,Raichur, Karnataka

In peril

Sir — It is surprising that Israel has no written Constitution. The coalition government led by Benjamin Netanyahu is now trying to put the Basic Laws that function loosely as a constitutional codex out of reach for the Supreme Court, which, at present, decides on thevalidity of laws passed by Knesset (“Democratic slide”, May 1). Several people in Israel have opposed these judicial reforms, which jeopardise democracy in that country. There are lessons for India in this opposition regarding the plans to reform the selection process of judges.

Sukhendu Bhattacharjee,Hooghly

Dangerous mix

Sir — Adulteration of food is a growing concern across the country. Adulteration of items such as milk, fish, raw vegetables and fruits with chemicals like carbide and formalin causes thousands of people to fall sick and raises out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare. There are laws against such practices but they are seldom implemented properly. This is not all. It continues to be legal to sell products which contain artificial colours and sweeteners that are harmful for health.

Pinaki Nandy,Shillong