Dig for data

Sir — A team of Australian palaeontologists recently came to the startling conclusion that modern mammals originated in the southern hemisphere. The findings have set off an impassioned debate, revealing a North-South divide in science. While this debate might take a while to settle, there can be no denying the fact that geopolitics does affect the results of scientific research. The overwhelming focus on digs in the northern hemisphere has skewed the data on fossils, leading to the theories about the origins of mammals being distorted. There is thus a case to undertake more exploratory palaeontological expeditions in the southern hemisphere. One wonders whether such explorations will reveal new data that will challenge existing knowledge about the origin of the species.

Samaresh Sarkar, Calcutta

Faulty parallel

Sir — The prime minis­ter’s comment compa­ring the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, to terror organisations like the Indian Mujahideen and the Popular Front of India is juvenile (“INDIA? Modi reads *@#*!”, July 26). Further, the accusation that the Opposition is “directionless” can equally be applied to the ruling party. The Bharatiya Janata Party seems to believe that it has a monopoly on ‘nationalism’. However, the word, ‘in­clu­sive’, in the name of the Op­position alliance is more representative of the spirit of the country than the divisive politics practised by the BJP, which can only win elections by playing up religious differences.

G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Sir — Instead of addressing the strife in Manipur on the floor of Parliament, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, has chosen to make immature comparisons between INDIA and the exploitative East India Company. The Opposition is trying to force Modi to have a discussion on Manipur by tabling a no-confidence motion. But the BJP has enough seats to defeat the motion. As the leader of a democracy, Modi should speak about the Manipur crisis of his own volition.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, Faridabad

Sir — It is disheartening that Narendra Modi has descended to such base rhetoric as to compare INDIA to organisations that had harmed the country. Such comments expose the ugly nature of politics.

Bhagwan Thadani, Mumbai

Play safe

Sir — The Trinamul Cong­ress has wisely steered clear of clamouring for its chief, Mamata Banerjee, to be projected as the prime ministerial face of the Opposition alliance, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (“TMC to avoid pitch for Didi as PM”, July 24). However, Banerjee’s ex­pectation that the TMC be allowed to contest most Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal on its own is absurd — does she believe that supporters of the Congress and the Left Front will vote for her party after facing violent attacks during the panchayat polls?

Aranya Sanyal, Siliguri

Rifts deepen

Sir — Pradip Phanjoubam’s article, “Manipur’s Naga angle” (July 26), provides an interesting analysis of the faultlines among tribal identities in Manipur. He correctly identifies the Naga tribes as meaningful stakeholders in the current conflict and explains that the ongoing feud between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo communities has arisen because the latter have been alienated from mainstream society for too long. It is disheartening that radical elements on both sides have further scuppered the chances of peace.

Amit Brahmo, Calcutta

Changed equation

Sir — The prime minis­ter of Israel, Benjamin Netan­yahu, has scored a political victory by successfully passing a law that limits the Supreme Court’s ability to overturn decisions made by ministers. But this has led to widespread protests (“Anti-govt protests mount”, July 26). At a time when far-Right parties are on the rise in Israel, these reforms will alter the existing institutional balance in Israel’s polity and further widen religious fissures.

Khokan Das, Calcutta

New beginning

Sir — Elon Musk’s rebranding of Twitter with an ‘X’ logo is interesting (“Musk changes Twitter logo to X”, July 25). He envisions creating an all-in-one app that can offer diverse services, from social media to online payments. Let us hope that the new direction in which he is taking the company will be worth the wait.

Amarjeet Kumar, Hazaribag, Jharkhand

Talented duo

Sir — India’s leading badminton doubles players, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, deserve more attention for their glorious wins in the finals of multiple tournaments like the Swiss Open, the Indonesia Open and the Korea Open.

Murtaza Ahmad, Calcutta

Spoilsport

Sir — It is high time that the International Cricket Council introduced a re­s­er­ve day for all Test matches (“Reserve-day raincoat a must for Tests”, July 25). England were denied the reward of an exceptional performance after the rain washed out the final day of the fourth Ashes Test.

Rohan Mahajan, Jammu

Stop the spread

Sir — Conjunctivitis has reared its ugly head across India. School students are more prone to the infection. Schools should thus be extra careful — those who have contracted the infection should be sent home. Poor sanitation and inadequate hygiene lead to the spread of conjunctivitis during monsoons. People should wash their hands as frequently as possible and go back to using hand sanitizers.

Calicut K. Subramaniam, Navi Mumbai