Go local

Sir — Indian athletes at the Paris Olympics were not dressed to kill. During the opening ceremony, athletes from around the globe donned outfits that reflected their countries’ unique cultures. However, the designer, Tarun Tahiliani, who designed the clothes for Team India, chose to use unimaginative digital prints and synthetic fabrics. The Olympic Games would have been the perfect opportunity for the government to support local artisans by hiring them to make dresses that adhered to the codes of the event while showcasing Indian craftsmanship. Visibility at such a huge platform would have boosted the vision of ‘Make in India’.

Shreya Chatterjee, Calcutta

Epic similarities

Sir — During the discus­sion on the budget in Parlia­ment, the leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, referred to the Mahabharata. Just like the young warrior, Abhi­manyu, who was killed inside the chakravyuh formation, the budget introduced by the Narendra Modi-led government has trapped women, youth and farmers (“Crashed: Modi’s chakravyuh”, July 30). One must appreciate Rahul Gandhi’s grasp over the epics, which the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders claim to be well-versed in. Modi and his followers find themselves in a sticky situation.

T. Ramadas, Visakhapatnam

Sir — Rahul Gandhi has made an apt comparison between the budget presented by the Centre and the deadly chakravyuh in the Mahabharata as both are meant to entrap helpless people. The Union budget shows a clear bias towards corporate houses, large businesses, and politicians whom the BJP wants to appease to retain power at the Centre. It made little effort to address unemployment and illiteracy in India. It failed to support small-scale industries. This chakravyuh must be broken.

Asim Boral, Calcutta

Caged voices

Sir — It is disheartening that restrictions were im­po­sed on journalists in Parliament (“Journalists ‘caged’ in Temple of Democracy”, July 30). Media personnel, who were earlier allowed to record footage and speak to members of Parliament at the Makar Dwar, were removed by the security staff. This is a blatant attack on press freedom and the leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, has rightly requested the Speaker to lift the restriction. The Speaker subsequently assured the journalists that all their grievances would be addressed and better facilities provided to them to discharge their duties. The press cannot be kept away from elected representatives in a democracy.

Jayanta Datta, Hooghly

Green concern

Sir — Along with the rest of India, the Northeast is facing extreme heatwave-like conditions due to climate change. Rainfall patterns have changed and extreme weather events are on the rise. Earlier, the Northeast used to experience frequent drizzles that kept heat at bay. However, heavy rainfall is now causing out of season floods. While schemes have been formulated at the national level to deal with these issues, state governments have failed to reduce the carbon footprints of the respective regions.

The government should check rapid urbanisation and rampant deforestation with policy interventions. People should also be made more aware of sustainable practices to prevent ecological damage.

A.K. Chakraborty, Guwahati

Thoughtful gift

Sir — It is heartening that Bhutan’s De-suung Skilling Programme has launched a blood donation drive to support Bhutanese cancer patients undergoing treatment in Tata Medical Centre, Calcutta (“Gift of blood to hospital from across border”, July 30). Each year, around 1,200 Bhutanese patients arrive at this leading cancer treatment facility. The drive will hopefully address the severe shortage of blood faced by these patients.

Khokan Das, Calcutta

Sir — Bhutan has taught the world a valuable lesson. Bhutan’s king has encouraged volunteers from various walks of life in Bhutan to donate blood to a hospital in Calcutta. As many as 334 people have already registered as donors.

It is heartening that citizens did not shrug off their responsibility. It is clear why Bhutan measures its prosperity on the Gross National Happiness Index. Despite being economically backward, Bhutan’s goal is ‘development with values’. India should shun divisiveness and follow suit.

Kajal Chatterjee, Calcutta

Surprise entry

Sir — A recent study has found that common mynas are one of the most important species among urban scavengers (“Myna surprise on scavenger list”, July 30). Will the common crows now lose their distinction as the jharudaar pakhi among Bengalis?

Sourish Misra, Calcutta

Sir — Once the prized pets of Bengalis, the mynas, known for their garrulous nature, have now become urban scavengers. Is this not another effect of anthropogenic destruction of the natural avian habitats?

Sreela Basu, Calcutta