Other voices

Sir — Texting is the go-to means of communication for most. However, digital messaging is inherently flawed, often leading to miscommunication. Significantly, a recent study has highlighted that the increasing hassles involving texting have been prompting netizens to shift to communicating via voice notes. Threading a needle between texting and calling, recorded messages not only provide a reprieve from screen time but also convey the emotional state of the sender, thus bridging communication gaps. But the question is this: do users still have the patience to hear lengthy voice messages in the fast-paced digital era?

Sunetra Pal, Howrah

Poll surprise

Sir — Surprising even his staunchest critics, the British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has announced an early general election on July 4 (“Rishi calls elections on July 4”, May 23). The incumbent government of the Conservative Party was not required to call for an election until January 2025. The announcement seems to be a political manoeuvring by Sunak to trounce the Opposition.

The 14 years of Tory rule have been marked by destabilising events, such as the divisive Brexit campaign, the mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic, a leadership crisis and economic turbulences. But the British economy has recently been showing signs of recovery with the inflation dropping to 2.3%, the lowest in at least three years. It is evident that Sunak is determined to seize the political capital that may accrue from the healing economy.

D.V.G. Sankara Rao, Andhra Pradesh

Sir — In one of the biggest gambles in modern Britain’s political history, Rishi Sunak has called for snap general elections months before the term of the current Parliament was to end. Most opinion polls have predicted fewer than 100 seats for the Tories in the 650-member House of Commons whenever elections are held.

The announcement of early elections is thus meant to deprive the Labour Party of crucial time for campaigning. Sunak, who has been steering a chaotic dispensation since 2022 after the resignation of his predecessor, Liz Truss, is betting on the falling inflation figures, a recovering economy and his flagship Rwanda bill — it aims to curb illegal immigration — to stay in power.

Khokan Das, Calcutta

Sir — Had it been India instead of the United Kingdom, no prime minister would have announced general elections months in advance as Rishi Sunak did. His announcement of snap polls comes at a time when the opinion ratings for the Tories are at their lowest.

Sunak has not been able to inspire confidence as a leader who could salvage the Tory ship from sinking. The fallout from Brexit, the intra-party feuds, and the poor management of inflation and other crises have further dented the prospects of the Conservatives. The Labour Party should seize this power vacuum and begin the process of reintegrating Britain with the European Union.

Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur

Innocence lost

Sir — The editorial, “Lost horizon” (May 24), highlights the shocking trend of adults bending children to their aggressive purposes. Children joining political processions and protest marches are not uncommon but using them for political ends is unforgiving. In such a crisis, schools must provide children with a safe environment and play a pivotal role in shaping their minds.

Suchandra Guha, South 24 Parganas

Poor yield

Sir — The Muzaffarpur litchis and the Malda mangoes are the usual summer favourites. However, yields of both fruits have been hit this year owing to the prolonged heatwave. Quality litchis and mangoes are yet to arrive at the markets in Calcutta. This will lead to price inflation.

Fakhrul Alam, Calcutta