Never give up
Sir — Failure is the stepping stones to success. Paramanand Tolani from Indore seems to have taken this adage to heart in spite of failing consistently for the last three decades. The businessman has contested elections 18 times at various levels and has lost his security deposit each time. But his optimism does not seem to have been dampened: he has filed his nomination, once again, for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly polls. It is a testament to the inclusiveness of Indian democracy that it allows all citizens to participate in it irrespective of their backgrounds or success rates.
Brijesh Saha, Calcutta
For power
Sir — There is no doubt that the prime minister, Narendra Modi, has an insatiable lust for power (“An insider’s view of Modi: power-hungry”, Oct 26). The Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi, does not want to leave any stone unturned in his attempt to unseat the Bharatiya Janata Party from power. His interview with the former governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik, is another means to that end. The INDIA bloc will now highlight the Centre’s failure to prevent the Pulwama massacre to expose the BJP’s indifference towards the armed forces. Rahul Gandhi’s unconventional campaign also provides a sharp contrast to the gaudy roadshows held by Modi and his supporters.
P.K. Sharma, Barnala, Punjab
Legacy omitted
Sir — Just as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s name vanished from the Motera stadium in Ahmedabad, the vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati University, Bidyut Chakrabarty, seems to have taken the initiative to remove Rabindranath Tagore’s name from plaques commemorating Santiniketan’s designation as a Unesco world heritage site (“Vanished”, Oct 26). It is deplorable that the prime minister’s sycophants are trying to
delete Tagore’s name from history. Citizens should protest against this attempt to co-opt Tagore’s legacy.
Ganesh Sanyal, Nadia
Sir — Nothing exemplifies the Bharatiya Janata Party’s disconnect with the cultural ethos of West Bengal like its ill-treatment of one of the state’s greatest icons, Rabindranath Tagore. It is unfortunate that the Visva-Bharati authorities had installed plaques in Santiniketan without mentioning Tagore. Even in the run-up to the assembly elections in 2021, the BJP leader, Gaurav Bhatia, had claimed that the poet’s surname was Tagore, and not Thakur.
Khokan Das, Calcutta
Sir — The installation of plaques honouring the current chancellor and vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati, Narendra Modi and Bidyut Chakrabarty, respectively, is an insult to the legendary founder of the educational institution (“Teachers’ group writes to Modi on plaques”, Oct 26). Chakrabarty should restore Rabindranath Tagore’s
name on the plaques at once.
Shyamal Thakur, East Burdwan
On fire
Sir — The Australian batsman, Glenn Maxwell, deserves to be lauded for smashing the fastest century in the ongoing cricket World Cup (“6-pack Max flexes muscles”, Oct 26). He scored the ton in just 40 deliveries against the Netherlands, paving the way for Australia’s mammoth 309-run win.
Mahajan Rohan, Jammu
Admirable effort
Sir — Indian para-athletes should be congratulated for creating history by surpassing the previous best tally of 72 medals won at the 2018 Asian Para Games. Their hard work and dedication have paid off.
Janaki Mahadevan, Chennai
