Name calling

Sir — It is common for high school bullies to call their young, male victims ‘girls’ as an insult but grown men clearly do the same. The president-elect of the United States of America, Donald Trump, recently claimed that Canada would soon become the 51st state of the US. As is the wont with Trump’s coterie, the head of the department of government efficiency, Elon Musk, joined the catcalling by needling the outgoing Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, who asserted that Canada would retain its sovereignty. While trying to insult Trudeau, Musk chose to do so by calling him a “Girl”. It is revealing that being a ‘girl’ seems to be a greater insult to Musk than recounting the several missteps that Trudeau has taken while in power.

Bidipta Pal, Calcutta

Changed avatar

Sir — After publicly claiming that he was not of biological origin and had been sent to earth by god with a special purpose, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, has now admitted that he is a mere human being who, too, is prone to making mistakes (“Good God! Modi says he’s human”, Jan 11). This has, justifiably, unleashed a fresh flood of memes.

Modi also said that the refusal of an American visa for him when he was serving as the chief minister of Gujarat was an insult to India. However, during this period, allegations were rife that Modi was complicit in the communal riots that erupted across Gujarat, resulting in the death of over 2,000 Muslims. Rumour has it that the then prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, wanted to dismiss Modi’s government but was persuaded by L.K. Advani against doing so. In his latest interview, Modi has also expressed his desire to become a sanyasi and relinquish power. As he nears 75, Modi should actually go ahead and give up his office.

Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai

Sir — The de facto head of the nation, Narendra Modi, seems hell-bent on making himself a laughing stock with his bizarre comments during interviews.

Romana Ahmed, Calcutta

Sir — Can a messiah sent by god be a mere human? Narendra Modi’s latest claims during his interview with the chief of the financial platform, Zerodha, are thus puzzling. But one should remember that politicians’ words are always ephemeral.

Fakhrul Alam, Calcutta

Unsafe state

Sir — The death of a new mother and the critical condition of some other women due to the administration of an expired drug the use of which had been prohibited at a government-run hospital is a grim reflection of the declining state of the healthcare infrastructure in West Bengal (“‘Expired drug’ claims new mom in govt hospital”, Jan 11). Such an incident could not have occurred without the complicity of the hospital authorities. There is an urgent need for a robust regulatory framework to ensure the safety of citizens’ health.

Dipak Thakker, Navi Mumbai

Sir — The leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, has demanded a thorough probe into the death of a female patient at Midnapore Medical College and Hospital. The Left Front has been blaming the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, for her careless handling of the health department since last year and has staged protests in Midnapore. A complete overhaul of the health department is the need of the hour.

Murtaza Ahmad, Calcutta

Still popular

Sir — It is heartening that the footfall at the Alipore Zoological Garden in December 2024 surpassed that of December 2023 by over two lakh people (“Zoo visitors”, Jan 13). While new entertainment centres have mushroomed in the city, a trip to the chiriakhana clearly remains mandatory for most Bengali families.

Sourish Misra, Calcutta

Timely plea

Sir — Gopalkrishna Gandhi’s article, “The mushroom cloud” (Jan 12), is a timely plea for nations to become more sensitive to the pressures on humanity. Battles were once fought to conquer foreign lands. But these days wars are being waged over religious and ideological disparities. Modern warfare is also more devastating and long-lasting. It is high time world leaders came together to formulate long-term policies towards
attaining global peace.

A.G. Rajmohan, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh

Lost lives

Sir — Cases of students committing suicide have been on the rise in many prominent higher educational institutions (“IIT student found hanging in hostel room”, Jan 11). This is disconcerting. Surveys have revealed that academic stress is one of the foremost causes of these deaths. While several universities have student counsellors,
the pressure of expansive syllabi is taking a toll on students. Coaching institutes often help students crack competitive exams but do not prepare them for the academic and peer pressures at these institutions. Parents, too, should not take their wards’ mental health lightly.

Bal Govind, Noida

Undue blame

Sir — Schools should not blame just grandparents for mollycoddling children and indulging their demands like, say, using smartphones (“School nudges grandparents not to overindulge children”, Jan 10). The pandemic and resultant online classes have increased children’s exposure to smartphones. While many schools do not allow students to carry phones, keeping them away from screens has become hard. Children’s addiction to smartphones must be curbed by using Artificial Intelligence to limit their screen time.

N.S. Ramakrishnan, Calcutta