Time off
Sir — Recently, a corporate manager came under fire for asking a subordinate to give advance notice before falling sick and taking sick leave. While it is bizarre to expect employees to give advance notice before falling sick, it is equally strange for an entire office to fall sick on the same day. Last week, there was a possibility of having an extended weekend if people could manage to get time off on the Friday between Independence Day and Rakshabandhan and the CEO of a company received sick leave applications from most of his employees on August 16. Instead of calling their bluff, he declared that day a holiday. While his kind gesture has won him plaudits, he must rethink such a charitable move lest his employees make a habit of ganging up on him to have their way.
Saptaparna Mullick, Mumbai
Ray of hope
Sir — Gopalkrishna Gandhi deserves to be praised for penning the excellent article, “Philosopher’s stone” (Aug 18). Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh, has threatened to quit if attacks on minorities do not cease. This is a lesson in secularism, humanity and responsibility. Narendra Modi, the prime minister of the largest democracy in the world, can learn a thing or two from Yunus as there has been a systemic ‘Othering’ of Muslims under the former. Yunus’s words came as a soothing balm for those who are feeling the wrath of majoritarianism. He should be hailed as a symbol of humanity in the subcontinent, which is under the grip of authoritarianism.
Kajal Chatterjee, Calcutta
Sir — A feeling of deep insecurity prevails among the Hindus in Bangladesh despite the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus assuring them of protection (“Shared blot”, Aug 19). The State’s failure to stem the violence is disconcerting. Unfortunately, global powers have not been proactive in mitigating the sufferings of minorities in the conflict-ridden country.
The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, has appealed to the Yunus-led dispensation to ensure the protection of minorities. But there have been incidents of Hindu right-wing groups attacking Muslims on the false suspicion of them being Bangladeshis in India. Modi should introspect on this. He does not have the moral right to call out atrocities against minorities in a neighbouring country as long as Muslims continue to be subjugated under his watch.
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
Sir — A United Nations special team will be visiting Bangladesh this week to investigate the crimes committed against the minorities during the unrest that led to the ouster of the former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina Wazed. The political situation in Bangladesh remains unstable. The interim government has unilaterally cancelled a public holiday which marked the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Moreover, Wazed and her erstwhile cabinet colleagues have been accused of kidnapping a lawyer in 2015 and murdering a vegetable vendor during the quota protests. It seems that Bangladesh will be facing an acute political crisis in the coming months.
Dattaprasad Shirodkar, Mumbai
Sir — According to Muhammad Yunus, reports of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh had been exaggerated (“Yunus calls Modi, allays minority worry”, Aug 17). At the same time, the chief adviser has assured that all minorities, including Hindus, will be protected. The interim government should uphold its commitment to human rights.
Samaresh Khan, West Midnapore
Free fall
Sir — The depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar is cause for concern. The Indian currency has been hovering at around the 83-to-a-dollar mark for the past few months. The Reserve Bank of India has been making interventions through its strong forex reserve to moderate the rupee’s slump. However, the Central bank is bound by limitations. Efforts focussed on strengthening the rupee would further delay the RBI from easing its monetary policy, thereby putting a brake on the country’s ambitious target of becoming a five-trillion-dollar economy.
M. Jeyaram, Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
Ulterior motive
Sir — The Union Public Service Commission had released an advertisement for the appointment of senior posts in the bureaucracy through lateral recruitment without the provision of any reservation. The UPSC has since withdrawn this ad. This withdrawal gives credence to the accusation that the ad was a covert attempt to deprive the historically oppressed sections of equal opportunity in public recruitment. The Centre must explain the original rationale behind lateral recruitment to 45 key posts, including joint secretary, director and deputy secretary, in various Union ministries.
Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur
Sir — Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was right to raise questions about the Centre’s move to recruit top bureaucrats through the backdoor. Had the lateral recruitment not been cancelled it would have made a mockery of the Constitution, which enshrines equal opportunities for all. It would also have been a big blow to genuine aspirants for promotion within the bureaucracy.
D.V.G. Sankara Rao, Andhra Pradesh
Lost crown
Sir — India has lost its crown as the biggest exporter of mangoes to an unlikely rival: China. Ironically, the tropical delight was unknown to the Chinese even as late as 1950. It was India that sent eight saplings to China in 1955 as part of its mango diplomacy. Now China has left India behind in mango exports for two consecutive years. This is unfortunate.
Shovanlal Chakraborty, Calcutta
