Log off
Sir — In today’s continually connected world, people cannot stay away from their smartphones for long. Even if one wants to switch off, questions begin to arise about not responding to messages from friends or emails from work. Interestingly, siggi’s, an American dairy company, is offering a month-long programme for those looking for an extended break from their digital devices. It will pay participants $10,000 and provide them with a three-month supply of yoghurt if they agree to give up their smartphones for a month and make do with old-fashioned flip phones. One wonders whether this offer will be taken up by social media celebrities and influencers who advocate digital detox programmes while maintaining an all-pervasive online presence.
Srijit Maity, Calcutta
Deep divide
Sir — The recent report on global inequality released by Oxfam lays bare an alarming wealth gap (“For the rich”, Jan 22). It is astounding that the top five billionaires of the world have doubled their wealth since 2020 while the real incomes of 4.8 billion people have dropped. The picture in India is no different. Out of all the wealth generated in India in 2017, 73% went to the richest 1% while a measly 1% went into the pockets of the poorest half.
As a result of such vast economic inequality, many countries — including India — are fractured along the lines of class, caste, gender and religion. Corporate houses influence government policy and politicians are forced to do the bidding of business tycoons. The famous line from Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities mentioned in the editorial serves as a poignant reminder of India’s economic divide.
Jahar Saha, Calcutta
Sir — The editorial, “For the rich”, has rightly observed that economic inequality breeds and reinforces other societal imbalances. As per an Oxfam report, the top 10% of Indians own 77.4% of the national wealth. It is shocking that out of all the wealth generated in India in 2017, the richest 1% got 73%, while the poorest 50% had to remain satisfied with just 1%. This income imbalance is not new. Rather it has been exacerbated in the last 10 years. The consequences of not addressing the wealth gap can be seen in the data released by the National Crime Records Bureau — some 154 farmers and agricultural labourers died by suicide every day in 2022, a 4% increase from 2021. As many as 41,433 daily-wage labourers ended their lives as well. Extreme poverty can lead people to take an extreme step.
Sujit De, Calcutta
Sir — “For the rich” was a thought-provoking editorial. It reminded one of the famous line from Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities and illustrated how New India is a golden age for only a select few. The stark disparities in our socio-economic structure need to be given as much attention as the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple was. Only if the wealth inequality is addressed can a true Ramrajya be said to have been established.
Avinash Godboley, Dewas, Madhya Pradesh
Call for peace
Sir — The prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has embarked on a war that has killed more than 25,000 Palestinians only to safeguard his weakening hold on power. The bombing of the Gaza Strip has failed to achieve its proclaimed objectives despite reducing much of the region to rubble. As a result of this, the family members of many Israelis taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 stormed Israel’s Parliament to demand that the government engage in negotiations with Hamas. This might have jolted the Israeli regime into action for there are now whispers of an extended ceasefire to facilitate the freeing of hostages doing the rounds.
Hamas should push for a two-State solution in its negotiations. Many Western nations have also publicly called for this approach for a peaceful resolution of the war. It is the only way to achieve lasting peace.
Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur
Sir — Israel has realised that it cannot eliminate Hamas completely. Tel Aviv’s objective now should be to strike a deal with Hamas so that its citizens can return home safely. War leads to collateral damage. Israel can avoid the potential deaths of those still held captive by striking a peace deal now.
Aranya Sanyal, Siliguri
Self promotion
Sir — The University Grants Commission’s directive to all higher educational institutions to instal the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao logo on their campuses and use it on their websites has rightly been criticised in academic circles. While the government has introduced various policies to improve the lot of the girl child in society, its instructions for the strategic placement of promotional material reeks of political propaganda. Instead of blowing its own bugle, the Centre should ensure maximum penetration of educational schemes among India’s rural population.
Kiran Agarwal, Calcutta
People’s leader
Sir — It is heartening that Karpoori Thakur, revered as the ‘Jan Nayak’ of Bihar, was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna on the eve of his birth centenary. Hailing from the downtrodden Nai community, he served as Bihar’s chief minister twice, introducing pivotal quotas for extremely backward classes. The award is a tribute to his contribution to nation-building.
Amarjeet Kumar, Hazaribagh
Wasteful fashion
Sir — Nearly 10% of global carbon emissions are attributed to the fashion business. Textile is the second-most water-intensive industry. Young shoppers need to be more aware of the risks associated with fast fashion. Textiles made from recycled materials should be encouraged.
Arka Goswami, Durgapur
