Too homely

Sir — The Covid-19 pandemic changed many lives. This is especially true of young people whose formative years were spent cooped up at home. Many young people nowadays thus prefer to spend their leisure hours at home instead of going out. These youngsters fill their time with hobbies such as knitting and crocheting — once associated with elderly women — and sharing their handiwork on social media. While it is commendable that GenZ has recognised the therapeutic benefits of having hobbies, they must remember to strike a balance and go out every now and then for the sake of their mental health.

Neha Sengupta,
Calcutta

New beginning

Sir — The newly-sworn-in chief minister of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, brings with him a wealth of experience having previously helmed the erstwhile state (“Omar woos Jammu with Hindu deputy, minister”, Oct 17). The Congress, the National Conference’s pre-poll alliance partner, has decided to support the government from outside. The numbers are on Abdullah’s side; there is thus little reason to expect instability to affect his government. Surprisingly, the lieutenant-governor has assured the government that there will be no confrontation from his side, which is a positive step.

The restoration of democratic processes in J&K presents immense possibilities. Public representatives must now live up to their promises. While statehood is the ultimate political goal, the people of the region are also hoping to see developmental activity and the redressal of grievances. This is where Abdullah needs to invest his energy.

Khokan Das,
Calcutta

Sir — Omar Abdullah has taken an exemplary step by appointing two Hindus from Jammu as ministers in his government, bridging the seeming Hindu-Muslim divide in J&K. By not joining Abdullah’s government and, instead, supporting it from outside, the Congress has taken a stand against the failure to restore statehood in J&K. One hopes statehood will soon be restored to honour public opinion.

T. Ramadas,
Visakhapatnam

Sir — The results of the recent assembly elections in J&K have proven that a majority of Kashmiris do not support the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government. As long as Modi stays the prime minister, the BJP will never find a firm footing in J&K.

Murtaza Ahmad,
Calcutta

Sir — Omar Abdullah’s wise decision to appoint a Hindu as the deputy chief minister will lessen Hindu-Muslim conflict in J&K.

Fakhrul Alam,
Calcutta

Sir — For the first time since it became a Union territory in 2019, J&K has an elected government. Omar Abdullah has a slew of promises to fulfil, ranging from the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A to reattaining statehood. People have high expectations
of him.

Jayanta Datta,
Hooghly

Sir — The J&K election results have raised critical questions — how will Omar Abdullah deal with the substantial power vested in the lieutenant-governor who can veto legislations? Given the split between Jammu and the Valley, what strategies will Abdullah adopt to bring these areas together and will he be restricted by the legal structures in place since the abrogation of Article 370?

Anshu Bharti,
Begusarai, Bihar

Sir — The Omar Abdullah-led National Conference government should aim to restore total normalcy in J&K, which is now a Union territory, so that it can regain statehood. Smooth and well-coordinated governance is thus the need of the hour.

R. Narayanan,
Navi Mumbai