Misused means
Sir — Giving alms to the poor is seen as a noble act. Such deeds often symbolise the kindness of the well-off towards the less fortunate in society. Sadly, this social contract has been turned on its head in recent years. Crowdfunding platforms are often used as tools to dupe gullible people into donating to misguided causes — the GoFundMe page set up to pay the legal penalty worth more than $350 million slapped on the former president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, is a case in point. Can a man with an alleged net worth of $2.6 billion not pay his fine from his own pocket?
Sujit Samaddar, Calcutta
Blame game
Sir — The Aadhaar card is an important document that is necessary to avail essential social benefits such as LPG cylinders and electricity connections. It is also accepted at private institutions like banks. That such a vital document has been deactivated for some people, as was reported from West Bengal recently, is a matter of concern. Sadly, the chief minister of Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, chose to weaponise the issue for political gain and placed the blame squarely on the Centre. The Union government has, in turn, cited a technical glitch for the snag and said that it will be resolved soon (“Didi unsheathes Aadhaar sword”, Feb 20). The two governments should have resolved the quandary through active dialogue via official channels instead of allowing state-level leaders to get involved.
Ronodeep Das, Calcutta
Sir — In a welcome move, the chief minister of Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, has lodged a complaint with the prime minister about the deactivation of the Aadhaar cards of many people. Her promise to issue alternative identity cards to those affected is equally heartening. It is astounding that the Unique Identification Authority of India has deactivated the Aadhaar cards of so many citizens without providing any prior intimation and allegedly before conducting any detailed cross-examination. This is a gross violation of people’s civil rights.
Khokan Das, Calcutta
Sir — The Aadhaar card is a document used by Indians to gain access to government facilities. Dismissing the anxieties of those who have received letters of its deactivation as baseless is thus wrong (“8 in north get Aadhaar-invalid letters”, Feb 22). Using the issue for political gain before the Lok Sabha elections is unnecessary. The authorities should instead publish an official circular explaining the reasons for the mass deactivations to dispel rumours.
Shyamal Thakur, East Burdwan
Golden voice
Sir — The demise of the renowned radio presenter, Ameen Sayani, is an irreparable loss to the nation (“The intoner of the original, and silky, ‘Behnon-Bhaaiyon!’”, Feb 22). Sayani achieved popularity for his show, Binaca Geetmala, which ran for decades on the radio. His pleasant voice captivated listeners throughout India.
Devendra Khurana, Bhopal
Sir — The news that the veteran radio artist, Ameen Sayani, has passed away is heartbreaking. There is no doubt that Sayani, whose voice was popular on channels like Radio Ceylon and Vividh Bharati, is the architect of the golden age of radio in India. His lyrical voice will be missed.
Sudhir Kangutkar, Thane
Sir — With the passing away of Ameen Sayani, Indian radio has lost one of its stalwarts. Millions will miss the voice which catapulted Binaca Geetmala to national fame. His voice was no less recognised than those of renowned singers whose songs were presented on his show. We bid goodbye to him with a heavy heart.
Avinash Godboley, Dewas, Madhya Pradesh
