Dance it off

Sir — All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, goes the adage. It is, indeed, important to cut ourselves some slack from work. It is thus heartening that even world leaders like the prime minister of Finland, Sanna Marin, have highlighted the importance of having a work-life balance. Marin has declared that she will continue to dance and drink with her friends irrespective of how much it angers the Finnish populace. The fact that she had to make this assertion confirms the unwritten rules that women have to adhere to. If Donald Trump could enjoy a round of golf and Boris Johnson could host a party in his home during a lockdown, why can Marin not dance with her loved ones? How she spends her personal time has nothing to do with her leadership skills.

Sutirtha Kamal Sinha, Calcutta

Lawless land

Sir — The horrifying murder of Nasir and Junaid, the two men who were kidnapped from Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district and whose charred bodies were found in an SUV in neighbouring Haryana, is a stark reminder of the impunity with which cow vigilantes assault minorities and the blatant disregard for law and order (“Cow vigilante alert to Rajasthan”, Feb 19). This incident is a throwback to the lynching of a dairy farmer named Pehlu Khan by a mob in Alwar in 2017 when he was transporting cattle from a weekly market in Jaipur to his village in Haryana. Cases of violence against cattle traders have continued to take place in spite of the Centre’s advisory to punish those who take the law into their own hands.

Khokan Das, Calcutta

Sir — It is shameful that cow vigilantism remains a menace in our country. The latest allegation against gau rakshaks in Haryana’s Bhiwani district of beating up two Muslim men and setting them on fire hints at the complicity of the police in the harassment of cattle traders. The law does not allow individuals to mete out justice as they see fit. Violence against Muslims in the name of cow protection cannot be tolerated.

G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Sir — Is there no Opposition left in the country to raise its voice against majoritarian and polarising politics? In July 2016, when cow vigilantes in Gujarat had beaten up seven Dalits with iron rods, many political leaders had made their presence felt. Rahul Gandhi had reached Samadhiyala to speak with the family members of the victims and the Aam Aadmi Party chief, Arvind Kejriwal, too, had also made an appearance. The Bahujan Samaj Party supremo, Mayawati, had raised the issue in Parliament. However, no politician has spoken out on behalf of Nasir and Junaid yet.

Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur

Ignorant lot

Sir — It is astounding that the mayor of Calcutta, Firhad Hakim, appears to be unaware of how hawking in the city actually works (“Footpaths for sale: Hawker”, Feb 18). Encouragingly, Monika Jana, a hawker from Shyambazar, has acquainted the mayor with the fact that space on the footpaths comes at a price. While the presence of hawkers on the pavements is a nuisance, they cannot be done away with overnight. They must be brought under some sort of regulation instead.

Amit Brahmo, Calcutta

Seeking publicity

Sir — There is no doubt that the members of the National Disaster Response Force deserve to be praised for aiding the residents of earthquake-affected regions in Turkey and Syria. But it is dismaying to see how the prime minister, Narendra Modi, manages to make everything about himself (“Salute to ‘Operation Dost’, Feb 21). Once again, he did not fail to mention his contribution as a volunteer in the aftermath of the Bhuj earthquake in 2001.

Prem Sharma, Barnala, Punjab

Holistic model

Sir — In her thought-provoking article, “An ideal model” (Feb 21), Devi Kar has rightly advocated a multi-dimensional approach towards teaching for the overall development of students. She has correctly emphasised the importance of building character, which will help students face adversities later in life. Teachers who encourage the holistic development of students deserve to be praised.

Iftekhar Ahmed, Calcutta

Digital revolution

Sir — With the advent of computers in the late 1990s, sociologists had not predicted any major change in society beyond a large-scale loss of jobs. However, the development of artificial intelligence in the digital age has revolutionised the way we think (“Big Bing Theory”, Feb 20). There is concern that chatbots like ChatGPT will help students write their essays, but there is software to even detect plagiarism.

R. Narayanan, Navi Mumbai

Trusted name

Sir — While the tech industry has seen massive layoffs at global firms like Google, Amazon and Meta, Tata Consultancy Services is leading by example. Not only has it refused to fire employees en masse but it is also looking to hire start-up employees who have lost their jobs (“TCS rules out layoffs”, Feb 20). The company has thus reaffirmed the trust that the Indian public has placed in the company.

Bishal Kumar Saha, Murshidabad

Take a walk

Sir — There has been a surge in the cases of dogs biting people, even their owners. Certain breeds are aggressive by nature, but even Indian breeds are indulging in conflicts. What is causing this aggressive behaviour? Keeping animals confined in homes all the time takes a toll on them, making them more aggressive. People should not adopt pets unless they can take them for walks.

Shreya Basu, Calcutta