Cramped spaces

Sir — Cities these days are densely populated spaces with more people trying to eke out a corner to live in. The feeling of being boxed is intensified by the decreasing size of apartments in cities like Mumbai. A recent marketing video presented by a real-estate influencer from that city has attracted attention for packing in two bedrooms with ‘micro-bathrooms’, a kitchen and a living room into less than 325 square feet. Animals, it seems, are no longer the only creatures who are seeing their living spaces shrink — overpopulation and capitalism are giving humans a taste of their own medicine.

Abhirup Sinha, Calcutta

Cracks exposed

Sir — Even as the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by the Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi, crisscrossed districts in North Bengal, the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, once again launched verbal attacks against parties in the INDIA bloc. Banerjee has alleged that the Congress and the Left parties are working together to make things easier for the Bharatiya Janata Party. Rahul Gandhi has remained silent in the hope that his party can join hands with the Trinamul Congress for the general elections. Banerjee’s hostility will not only jeopardise the stability of the Opposition alliance but also award the BJP a cakewalk. Perhaps Banerjee criticised the Congress only to divert attention from the lapses in law and order in the state that led to the BJNY being pelted with stones.

S.S. Paul, Nadia

Sir — Many Opposition parties joined hands last year with great fanfare and made lofty promises of exterminating hatred, but their alliance seems to be disintegrating rapidly. In West Bengal, both the Congress and the TMC are equally to blame for the coalition’s breakdown.

The state leaderships of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress have consistently opposed any electoral understanding with the TMC. Is it not natural then that Mamata Banerjee would feel the same animosity towards them? However, Banerjee’s decision to contest alone in the state is also selfish. Opposition parties should refrain from proclaiming noble ideals of ‘saving democracy’ when it is clear that each party is only looking out for itself.

Kajal Chatterjee, Calcutta

Sir — During the formation of a ‘grand’ alliance by the non-BJP parties last year, the political leaders of these outfits were swayed by dreams of coming to power. Subsequently, the trust deficit among the parties has been widened by verbal spats, such as the one between the Congress leader, Adhir Chowdhury, and Mamata Banerjee. It is doubtful whether such a disjointed alliance can put up a fight against the Narendra Modi-led dispensation in the Lok Sabha elections.

Arun Kumar Baksi, Calcutta

Sir — Following the desertion by the Bihar chief minister, Nitish Kumar, many other rifts among the political leaders in INDIA seem to be coming to the fore. The verbal duel between Adhir Chowdhury and Mamata Banerjee is a case in point — it seemingly even forced Rahul Gandhi to take a break from the BJNY. The nation’s political situation will surely undergo more upheavals in the coming days.

K. Nehru Patnaik, Visakhapatnam

Long wait

Sir — It is disheartening that the bail plea of the former student leader, Umar Khalid, has been postponed for the eighth consecutive time. He has already spent three years in custody after being arrested under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots.

Sujit De, Calcutta