Right direction

Sir — It was a relief to learn that the prime accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, Ashis Mishra — he is the son of the Union minister, Ajay Mishra — has been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police (“Cops get Ashis for 3 days”, Oct 12). The Supreme Court must be commended for coming down heavily on the state government for failing to arrest the accused. This must come as a warning to the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders that no one is above the law.

Over the last year, the agitating farmers have proved that they are firm in their resolve to protest against the three farm laws passed by the Centre. Many have lost their lives but the farmers refuse to budge, and rightly so. The government cannot infinitely ignore the farmers’ demands. The BJP must find a way to resolve the crisis if it hopes to win the upcoming assembly elections.

N. Sadhasiva Reddy,
Bangalore

Sir — There is no doubt that had the Supreme Court not directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file a status report regarding the investigation in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence within a day, Ashis Mishra would not have been arrested. But the mere arrest of the minister’s son will not suffice. The courts should be vigilant in monitoring the handling of evidence by the investigative agencies so that there is no scope for tampering.

Arun Gupta,
Calcutta

Ignored plight

Sir — Subir Bhaumik has rightly pointed out that the ongoing strife in Myanmar where the Tatmadaw has choked the democratic rights of the citizens will have a far-reaching impact for the rest of Asia (“Look and act East”, Oct 11). Since the coup on February 1, 2021, hundreds have either lost their lives, been injured or rendered homeless, triggering a massive humanitarian crisis. This has upended the lives of the ordinary people but the international community seems to have forgotten about their
plight.

Aung San Suu Kyi and the leaders of the National League for Democracy have been languishing in jail on trumped up charges for months. But New Delhi’s response towards Myanmar seems to be measured, exposing its unwillingness to upset either the NLD leaders or the army. India must take a strong stand against the Tatmadaw and commit itself fully to upholding democratic doctrines in the region.

Janga Bahadur Sunuwar,
Jalpaiguri

Jungle beat

Sir — Nitin Gadkari, the Union minister of road transport and highways, has mooted the idea of a law that would replace car horns with the sound of Indian musical instruments such as the flute, tabla, or harmonium (“Tone deaf”, Oct 10). The minister also suggested that the sound of the siren on an ambulance or an official vehicle could be replaced with a melodious composition similar to the one that served as the signature tune of All India Radio.

The idea is certainly well-intended. Studies have shown that prolonged exposure to the noise caused by traffic can lead to hearing loss, increase in blood pressure and heart rate, greater risk of stroke and diabetes as well as a general spike in stress and anxiety. Yet, whether a musical instrument will annoy or soothe depends on the person who wields it. If the person — the average Indian driver — is impatient and scornful of both traffic rules and ordinary courtesy, the result is unlikely to be any different than the current din on our roads. Unless people are patient and mindful, traffic jams will not be any more pleasant than they are now.

S.S. Paul,
Nadia

Sir — Nitin Gadkari is under the impression that replacing the honk of car horns with the sound of musical instruments will bring an end to the cacophony experienced during traffic jams. But the disharmonious melody of Indian instruments playing without timing or tune is likely to annoy the passengers stuck in traffic just as much. While it is certainly important to bring down the level of noise pollution, this suggestion is unlikely to bear fruit.

Rupali Bhadra,
Calcutta

Sir — What’s in a name, that which is a horn will be as cacophonous as a tabla.

Sunder R.P.,
Coimbatore

Drawn afresh

Sir — Comic book fans are delighted to learn that the new Superman, Jon Kent, the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, is bisexual and will be fighting crime alongside his new male love interest, Jay Nakamura. Jon Kent is not the first queer superhero — Loki is not only bisexual but also genderfluid — but a growing list of LGBTQI+ characters with superpowers is bound to alter the stereotypes about masculinity and sexuality that have shaped the genre. The recognition queer experiences will enrich the narrative and endear the genre to a newer generation of fans.

Nilam Raina,
Calcutta