Skewed legacy

Sir — People associate their sense of identity with their names. It is thus understandable that they want to pass on a sense of continuity by giving their children their last names. But not all of us can do that. In fact, women’s last names have historically been given no importance and only men have been allowed to ‘pass on’ and preserve their sense of identity. In the Netherlands, however, a women’s rights group has legally disputed the Dutch law skewed towards men regarding naming children thereby perpetuating gender discrimination. A majority of Indian women, unfortunately, are far behind. With most spouses and in-laws begrudging Indian women who keep their maiden surnames after marriage, ascribing mothers’ family names to children is a distant dream.

Rituja Biswas, Calcutta

Old fear

Sir — In his piece, “Blame it on Soros” (Dec 21), Asim Ali calls George Soros the “right-wing’s favourite bugbear”. Surely, supporters of right-wing propaganda would also label Soros the ‘left-wing’s Santa Claus’ because he allegedly provides liberal institutions with resources. Indian YouTubers and media personnel who speak against right-wing atrocities are often linked to Soros too. While name-calling has now become an intrinsic part of politics, it would perhaps do political parties some good to tone down their rhetoric and devote their combined attention to resolving actual issues like wars, climate crisis, the crumbling health infrastructure and unemployment.

Satish Gupta, Calcutta

Sir — George Soros has become akin to Gabbar Singh; his name is evoked by the Right to instil fear in the minds of people. To make a nonagenarian businessman seem like a James Bond-esque villain playing cat-and-mouse games and plotting against nations requires a vivid imagination. Indian politicians hardly update themselves about the global markets and financial sectors, especially regarding various currencies. Soros had made billions overnight after betting against the pound sterling. This has made him a near-mythical character for young people worldwide.

Anthony Henriques, Mumbai

Sir — With assembly elections pending in various states, conspiracy theories of a ‘foreign hand’ interfering in domestic politics are back in the news. This has always been the case ever since the time of Indira Gandhi. The good news is that the ruling party seems to have shifted its focus from blaming Jawaharlal Nehru for all of India’s present-day problems and has instead picked George Soros as its fall guy to divert attention from its failures.

H.N. Ramakrishna, Bengaluru

Foolish move

Sir — With the Delhi assembly elections knocking on the door, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party have actively begun postering. The posters circulated by the BJP are intended to slander the AAP and depict poor people seeking houses. Ironically, the Centre itself has not released adequate funds under the rural housing scheme. Journalists like Ravish Kumar have spoken about the fact that more than 90% of houses in Delhi are pucca structures. The BJP seems ignorant about ground realities and, in a bid to badmouth the AAP, has gone overboard.

A.K. Chakraborty, Guwahati

Loose tongue

Sir — Isa Guha, a renowned commentator for Fox Sports, faced severe backlash after calling the Indian cricketer, Jasprit Bumrah, a “ most valuable primate” while commentating. Her comment has gone viral on social media and she has been attacked by cricket-lovers worldwide. Guha apologised for her remark in the presence of Adam Gilchrist and Ravi Shastri who also took the initiative to douse the flames. Born in Calcutta, Guha was a good fast bowler herself and played for many years. Unfortunately, many will only know her because of this controversy.

M.N. Gupta, Hooghly

Gift of life

Sir — The scarcity of cadaver donors is a pressing concern for the Indian medical fraternity, especially when it comes to treating patients who suffer from significant organ damage and might benefit from transplants (“Concern over cadaveric donation rate”, Dec 23). The motivations behind live organ donations can be complex. In fact, it can also jeopardise the donor’s life. Cadaveric donations, therefore, are the safest bet. However, the process of cadaveric donation requires sensitive counselling as it is often challenging for the kin of patients who have been declared brain dead to consent to donation. Counselling should be rooted in empathy and should be a mandatory component in both clinics and educational institutions. Addressing common fears regarding donations and fostering a supportive environment should be the aim.

Bijurica Chakraborty, Calcutta

Sir — With the number of organ transplants decreasing in comparison to last year, experts at the Neurological Society of India’s annual conference highlighted the necessity of organ donation. In West Bengal, kidney transplants fell by more than 60%, liver transplants by 50% and heart transplants by 78%. More people should volunteer to donate their organs after their death.

Khokan Das, Calcutta

Flighty celebration

Sir — It is heartening that the centenary celebrations of the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport commenced with much pomp (“Foreign flight focus on centenary”, Dec 22). This marks a milestone in the history of Indian aviation. One hopes that the number of international flights will increase from the Calcutta airport soon as this will connect the city directly with many important places across the globe.

Sourish Misra, Calcutta