Soul bonds

Sir — The thrilling match between India and Pakistan at the Twenty20 World Cup 2022 was perhaps one of the finest games ever played. While the match ended with a victory for India and a loss for Pakistan, there is common ground for celebration. A video shared on social media shows Indian and Pakistani fans singing “Pasoori” by Ali Sethi in unison and dancing to it outside the stadium. The song itself has been lauded as a South Asian anthem, uniting people across borders. This merger of sport and music is a testament to the spirit of brotherhood that still exists among the citizens of the two countries. It would perhaps not take much for the political elite to mend the relationship between the two nations but one cannot imagine that happening anytime soon.

Debasmita Ghosh, Calcutta

Historic moment

Sir — After much upheaval, Rishi Sunak has become the first Indian-origin prime minister of the United Kingdom (“Rishi rises”, Oct 26). Earlier, in another first, he swore his oath to Parliament with his hand on a copy of the Bhagavad Gita after the 2017 general elections. As expected, many Indian media outlets have highlighted this particular aspect and presumed it to be an indication of the pro-India policies to come. When Kamala Harris became the vice-president of the United States of America, similar news articles were published focusing on her Indian heritage. It is a fallacy to think that these leaders will be serving the interests of India rather than those of the country they represent. An article in The Washington Post stated that this is “the first time in history that the residents of Downing Street are richer than those of Buckingham Palace”. This is a bigger indication of what Sunak’s stint may look like. It must also be remembered that he has received the public backing of the Pakistani origin politician, Sajid Javid. The political equations in the UK are different from those of the subcontinent.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, Faridabad

Sir — The elevation of Rishi Sunak to the highest office in the UK is a result of the disastrous economic decisions of his predecessor, Liz Truss, and a general state of disarray within the Conservative Party. Nevertheless, the election of a person of colour who is also from a minority religious community to the prime minister’s post is a significant moment in British history. But Sunak is not known to be a vocal critic of racial inequality, which is faced by most people of colour in the UK. He comes from a privileged background and is independently wealthy. Thus, many doubt if his policies will benefit underprivileged communities. He is also in favour of tightening immigration laws. Sunak has not been chosen by the public but by the Conservative politicians to lead the country. One can only hope that his policies favour the common people rather than the affluent.

G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Sir — There is no doubt that Rishi Sunak is a traditional post-Thatcherite Tory. But he is also committed to good governance. This combination will certainly work in his favour, easing the worries of the market as well as technocrats. Additionally, Sunak has supporters from across the party and many are hopeful that he will be able to unite the Tories. Sunak has been dubbed a “socialist” by his party colleague, Jacob Rees-Mogg. But Sunak was a Brexiteer and is a long-standing believer in small-State and tax cuts. In spite of that, at the height of the pandemic, Sunak, the then chancellor of the exchequer, unveiled fiscal policies to help businesses facing the risk of collapse. It is this blend of strategies that sets Sunak apart.

Shovanlal Chakraborty, Calcutta

House on fire

Sir — The president of the United States of America, Joe Biden, recently called Pakistan one of the most dangerous nations in the world by referring to the latter’s nuclear weapons arsenal, which is, apparently, “without any cohesion”. Rather than criticising others, it is time that American politicians focussed on domestic issues, such as mass shootings, that have marred the country’s global reputation. Lax gun laws and systemic racism are two of the major problems plaguing the US. Biden must get his own house in order before condemning others.

Naushad Shahid, Calcutta

Lost humanity

Sir — A 12-year-old girl was allegedly raped and dumped in critical condition behind the Dak Bangla guest house in Kannauj. A video of the incident that has gone viral on social media shows bystanders busy filming the grievously injured girl instead of helping her. This is appalling. The video shows the girl asking for help but to no avail. She received help only when the police arrived at the spot. The inhumane attitude of the local people towards the girl is a stark reminder of the poor state of females in India.

Bhagwan Thadani, Mumbai

Major threat

Sir — In a heartening move, the Supreme Court has declined to hear an urgent plea challenging the blanket ban on firecrackers in Delhi (“Hush now”, Oct 24). But there are many other reasons for the poor air quality of Delhi and the National Capital Region, such as vehicular pollution, stubble burning, garbage dumps, and so on. These, too, must be addressed. Nevertheless, a countrywide ban on firecrackers could significantly reduce the problem of air pollution around this time of the year. The Centre and the states must devise a singular, cohesive policy addressing this issue.

N. Mahadevan, Chennai

Sir — The manufacture andsale of banned crackers have continued unabated throughout this festive season. Many shopkeepers stick ‘green’ labels on regular firecrackers, making it difficult for the police to weed them out. The authorities will need to devise smarter ways of curbing this menace.

Fakhrul Alam, Calcutta