A course in empathy

Sir — Studying pop culture can help us understand socio-political developments. Ghent University in Belgium is all set to introduce a literature course based on the songs of the artist, Taylor Swift, from her recent Eras Tour. While several other universities have also offered such courses in the past, Ghent University’s course will focus on Swift’s use of canonical texts in her songs to address important topics such as feminism and ecocriticism. The current educational system in Indian institutes of higher education has been unsuccessful in eliminating violence on campus. Perhaps Swift’s lyrics — most of them focus on trauma and personal battles — could inspire students to be kind towards one another.

Ritwika Das, Calcutta

Popular leader

Sir — During one of his media interactions, the Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi, revealed the plight of the people residing in villages close to the buffer zone along the Indo-Chinese border in Ladakh (“Intrusion cry in Pangong”, Aug 21). The Gandhi scion dismissed the prime minister’s claim that China has not occupied any Indian territory. The buffer zone is a highly sensitive region that has seen multiple Indo-Chinese confrontations, such as the one in 2020 that took the lives of 20 Indian soldiers. Rahul Gandhi has previously spoken about illegal Chinese settlements in Arunachal Pradesh as well. The government should urgently address Chinese intrusions before they get out of hand.

Aayman Anwar Ali, Calcutta

Sir — Rahul Gandhi’s discourse on politics seems to be based on brotherhood and genuine concern for people’s well-being. It is exactly what this strife-torn nation needs. His approach towards national politics has changed for the better since the Bharat Jodo Yatra and has won the hearts of Indians.

Himel Ghosh, Calcutta

First step

Sir — Before banning doctors from prescribing branded medicines, the National Medical Commission should start a sufficient number of janaushadhi kendras — fair-price medicine shops that provide cheaper, efficacious drugs — to ensure that the patients have access to proper cure.

Basudeb Dutta, Durgapur

Fall from grace

Sir — The veteran actor, Rajinikanth, recently touched the feet of the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, who is much younger than the Tamil film star. This shows that the values preached by Rajinikanth in his films — his characters usually champion equality — are merely cinematic. Although Rajinikanth’s fans have noted that he simply paid his respect towards a yogi, this act reveals the Thalaiva’s desire for political patronage. It has rightly been criticised by film buffs.

M.C. Vijai Shanker, Chennai

Grim future

Sir — The editorial, “Women Friday” (Aug 20), illuminates the sexism ingrained in the Artificial Intelligence industry, which primarily designs intelligent but subservient bots. One shudders to think of a dangerous new era of slavery and a capitalist project riddled with political bias and sexism. The future also seems grim for women scientists.

Debapriya Paul, Calcutta

Environmental woes

Sir — Irresponsible developmental projects are detrimental to the environment. Hilly states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, once known for their scenic beauty, are now suffering from frequent landslides and floods. Illegal constructions on riverbeds have deteriorated the floodplains and drainage systems of rivers.

Flood and earthquake-prone zones should be identified at the earliest. Only construction that is absolutely necessary and will not damage the fragile ecology of these regions should be permitted. The Centre and states need to work hand-in-hand to address these problems.

Tashi Baheti, Ujjain

Sir — The past three decades have seen a rise in the number of visitors to mountainous tourist spots in India. The construction of cushy hotels in these regions has proven to be detrimental to the environment. It has also led to the generation of a large amount of plastic waste and increased pressure on groundwater resources. The tourism industry should be regulated in a more stringent manner in order to minimise its damaging impact.

N. Ashraf, Mumbai

Illegal display

Sir — It is not uncommon to spot vehicles with religious stickers stuck on them. However, this is prohibited under Section 179(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Over 2,300 challans have been issued against vehicles bearing such caste and religious stickers by the Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad police, respectively. The instruction to ban such public displays of one’s religion apparently comes from the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath. But Adityanath himself is known for wearing his religion and caste on his sleeve.

Vijay Singh Adhikari, Nainital

Sore sight

Sir — The omnipresence of huge advertisement hoardings on roads and thoroughfares plagues cities like Calcutta, especially around Durga Puja. These hoardings block visibility at the roundabouts and are dangerous during storms. Moreover, various Puja committees dig up roads while erecting mandaps but promptly forget to repair the roads after the celebrations. The mayor needs to look into these matters this year.

Amit Brahmo, Calcutta