Cruel policy
Sir — Not all diplomats have to be canny and well-spoken; some can definitely be cuddly and lovable. Recently, China has sent two such diplomats — giant pandas — to America as a decades-old strategic tool to win partners, build goodwill. However, competition among American zoos to bring in Chinese pandas is fierce. This is worrying. The craze for shipping animals does not bode well for them. Take, for instance, India’s disastrous experience of acquiring cheetahs from Namibia. Relocating animals for diplomacy or national projects might suit human purposes but can be rather cruel to the animals.
Divya Patani, Delhi
Biased honour
Sir — The Nobel Peace Prize has faced various criticisms (“Chequered nobility”, Oct 12). One of the major issues is the lack of transparency in its selection process. The names of nominees have not been disclosed for half a century, leading to suspicions and accusations of bias. Increasing transparency by revealing more about the selection criteria and the process could help build trust in the selection committee’s decisions. The current policy against posthumous awards is another bone of contention. For instance, Mahatma Gandhi, a global icon of non-violence, was nominated several times but never received the prize. He was assassinated in 1948 and the Norwegian Nobel Committee decided not to award the prize posthumously. Posthumous recognition can honour significant contributions by an individual that were not acknowledged during his or her lifetime.
Regularly reviewing and updating the criteria for the Nobel Peace Prize are essential to ensure that it remains relevant to contemporary issues. Engaging the people in the nomination process could democratise the selection and increase public interest. While the Nobel Peace Prize does not currently involve public voting, introducing such an element could make the process more inclusive and transparent.
Dhananjay Sinha, Calcutta
Sir — The Nobel prize has always been surrounded by controversies and not without reasons. It has been usually conferred upon citizens of developed nations — 403 Americans have been awarded the Nobel prize till 2022. The Nobel Committee also remains biased towards male recipients and its decisions are determined by global politics. M.K. Gandhi and James Joyce were two notable personalities who were overlooked by the Committee. Henry Kissinger’s reception of the Nobel Peace Prize led to the resignation of two Norwegian Nobel Committee members. Barack Obama, too, said that he did not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, thus adding to the controversy.
Vinay Asawa, Howrah
Sir — It is unfair to assume biases in the selection process of the Nobel Committee merely because the prizes are given to those living in Western countries. The judgement is made based on the standard of work and its impact. Several countries in the world struggle to provide basic infrastructure to their citizens due to political unrest. However, the Nobel Committee has recognised the contribution of people from such countries as well. It is unfortunate that people from developing countries cannot afford better facilities and this is reflected in their work. The fault for this, though, does not lie with the Nobel Committee. Only the best works merit recognition.
Anthony Henriques, Mumbai
Hunger pangs
Sir — India has seen an increase in the number of people going hungry. The 2024 Global Hunger Index ranks India at the 105th position among 127 countries. This highlights the severity of the issue of hunger in India. Despite political instability, India’s neighbours rank higher. Sri Lanka ranks 56th, Bangladesh is ranked 84th and Pakistan 109th. A survey of children under five years in India showed that 13.7% of children are malnourished, 18.7% are afflicted by wasting, and 35.5% suffer from stunted growth. In spite of being an agrarian economy, India fails to prevent death due to malnutrition. Although hunger in India has allegedly been declining, its rate of child malnutrition remains one of the highest in the world. A factor contributing to this is the lack of nutritious food for mothers. It is necessary to focus on the nutrition requirements of both mothers and children.
Dattaprasad Shirodkar, Mumbai
Still popular
Sir — Narkel naru is a common sweetmeat prepared and served in Bengali households during Durga Puja and after Dashami. Almost all dashakarma bhandars and confectionaries sell narkel narus. The traditional sweetmeat enjoys enormous popularity even today.
Sourish Misra, Calcutta
Lost laughter
Sir — The renowned veteran actor, Atul Parchure, passed away at the age of 57. He had been diagnosed with liver cancer. The actor was known for his roles in movies like Partner, Awarapan, Billu and Phir Hera Pheri. Parchure has worked in several Marathi films and TV shows as well. His fans will remember him for his impeccable comic timing.
A.K. Chakraborty, Guwahati
