Uphill task

Sir — Food delivery workers going above and beyond their call of duty is commonplace. They are forced to brave many things — from heavy downpours to congested roads — to ensure that the order reaches customers swiftly. Take the instance of Umanami Futoshi. In a viral video that has resurfaced in Japan, Futoshi hiked 3,776 metres for more than five hours to the summit of Mount Fuji to despatch a Domino's pizza to a group of trekkers. However, it was later revealed that Fitoshi was not a real food delivery worker. But he undertakes such hikes regularly. Nevertheless, the handsome tip earned by Futoshi must make customers as well as employers take cognisance of the extreme efforts of the delivery workers that often go unnoticed.

Brijesh Panja, North 24 Parganas

Rough waves

Sir — In a significant development, the Maldivian government suspended three deputy ministers for their derogatory remarks against the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi ("Maldives-India in sea skirmish", Jan 8). Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep was seen as a challenge to Maldivian tourism by these ministers who then went on to denigrate him on social media.

The prime minister's visit to Lakshadweep was, in fact, a bid to boost tourism in the region. It, by no means, was a campaign to replace the Maldives as a tourism option for Indians. The economy of the archipelago is significantly dependent on Indian tourism. The government's reparative actions against the ministers are thus welcome.

Khokan Das, Calcutta

Sir — The pictures of Narendra Modi snorkelling in the deep waters of Lakshadweep prompted a barrage of hateful comments from three Maldivian ministers, who referred to the Indian prime minister as a "clown" and a "puppet of Israel". This is deplorable. While several Indian celebrities joined ranks in condemning these remarks and many Indians cancelled their vacation plans to the archipelago, the Opposition is yet to express its disapproval over the issue.

Notably, Mohamed Muizzu came to power in the Maldives on the back of the 'India Out' campaign. He also recently asked India to withdraw its military personnel from the archipelago. The action against the three ministers suggests that there has been a shift in the Maldivian policy concerning New Delhi. Solidarity is key to peace among neighbours.

K.V. Seetharamaiah, Bengaluru

Sir — It must be noted that the pictures of Narendra Modi snorkelling in Lakshadweep led to his detractors in India deriding him for showmanship. New Delhi should not react to the provocation by the three suspended Maldivian ministers and strive to
maintain good relations with its neighbour. The Maldives should also shed its inflated sense of self-importance owing to its strategic importance in the Indian Ocean
region.

G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Relevant icon

Sir — While Mao Zedong laid the foundation of modern China, it was his successor, Deng Xiaoping, who lifted China from the quagmire of poverty by introducing the system of market economy ("Still a hero", Jan 5). This led to China becoming the second-largest economic power in the world. Deng's remark, "To be rich is glorious", is particularly resonant among the Chinese. Both Mao and Deng took China to such insurmountable heights that despite being a communist country — although not in the truest sense of the term — it carries the economic capability to challenge the capitalist superpowers.

Aranya Sanyal, Siliguri

Sir — The sightings of huge crowds at the 130th birth anniversary celebrations of the first chairman of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong, are a testament to his enduring appeal. But it is unfortunate that one of his slogans, 'political power grows out of the barrel of a gun', is still adhered to by China. The Chinese government's periodic incursions into Indian territories are evidence of this.

Sanjit Ghatak, South 24 Parganas

Hit hard

Sir — The recent protest by the truck drivers against the new hit-and-run law disrupted supply chains, causing hardships to the people ("Switch gears", Jan 8). While the responsibility of transporting the injured in hit-and-run cases to the hospital should primarily lie with the authorities, everyone present at the site should make efforts to assist on humanitarian grounds. Putting this responsibility solely on the drivers eludes logic. The accused driver may also become vulnerable to mob lynching in such cases.

The high frequency of hit-and-run tragedies can be attributed to the long driving hours of truck drivers who work on meagre compensation. The government should thus instead bring about a law to regulate the work hours of the truck drivers.

S.S. Paul, Nadia

Solar mission

Sir — India took another giant leap in space exploration on Saturday when the Indian Space Research Organisation successfully injected the Aditya-L1 spacecraft — India's first mission to study the Sun — into its final destination orbit, which is roughly 1.5 million km from Earth ("Here Comes The Sun", Jan 7). It is hoped that the mission fulfils its key objectives: understanding the initiation of coronal mass coupling and dynamics of the solar atmosphere and a deeper study of solar wind distribution and temperature anisotropy.

Nikhil Krishnan, Navi Mumbai

Sir — The Aditya-L1 reaching its halo orbit, which was hitherto occupied by European and American spacecraft, comes as a great achievement for the Isro.

Sukhendu Bhattacharjee, Hooghly