Precious resource

Sir — Souvenirs from space missions are incredibly valuable. At present, Sotheby’s is auctioning off a lot that includes a piece of the moon (picture), a slice of the Allende meteorite — the specimen on offer allegedly contains the oldest matter mankind can discern and touch without a microscope — and a slice of rock from Mars. One cannot help but wonder if it is a good idea to allow such items to be auctioned off to rich collectors. Given how much we still do not know about space and the creation of the universe, would it not be better if these specimens were preserved for research purposes? After all, with the advancement of technology and the invention of new instruments, even old specimens can yield new findings.

Anamika Dey, Calcutta

Caught out

Sir — The arrest of Partha Chatterjee, the commerce and industries minister of West Bengal, by the Enforcement Directorate in a teacher recruitment scam came as a shock (“Partha arrested by ED”, July 24). Chatterjee was formerly the minister of education. The ED also recovered about Rs 21 crore in cash from the house of his close aide, Arpita Mukherjee. If the ED is to be believed, the money was accumulated through extortion. These events are bound to pose difficulties for the Trinamul Congress. Since Chatterjee was known to be close to the TMC leader and chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, the heat of the investigation might singe her too.

Divyansha Sharma, Ujjain

Sir — The latest revelations in the West Bengal teacher recruitment scam are annoying. Such corruption erodes the faith that people have reposed in this government. Recruiting undeserving candidates in teaching roles shakes the very foundation of society as teachers are responsible for shaping the country’s future. If proven guilty, Partha Chatterjee and his accomplices must not be shown any leniency.

Iftekhar Ahmed, Calcutta

Sir — There is no smoke without fire. Given the prima facie, incriminating evidence against Partha Chatterjee — the enormous amount of cash recovered from the house of his associate, for instance — it will be futile to accuse the ED of wrongful or partisan conduct.

K. Nehru Patnaik, Visakhapatnam

Great exodus

Sir — A record 1,63,370 Indian nationals renounced their citizenship in 2021, the minister of state for home affairs, Nityanand Rai, told the Lok Sabha recently. This is worrying because the figure includes a large number of students. They could have been assets for the Indian economy had there been adequate employment prospects in this country. Corruption and nepotism are other causes for this exodus. The government should do more to root out corruption. Instead of using the State agencies to target its opponents, they should be allowed to do their work. Better education, employment, infrastructure and social security would reduce emigration.

Atharv Patil, Ujjain

Chains that bind

Sir — Indian men seem to be afraid of economically independent women (“Angel in the house”, July 24). Why else would they prefer to marry women who are not employed? Family values are used as an excuse to keep women restricted to the house. Why is the woman supposed to be the sole repository of family honour? Moreover, why would such honour be affected adversely by her working outside the house? Even women who do have a career are forced to prioritise the needs of the family. Unless this mindset changes, India cannot aspire to be an economic superpower.

Anthony Henriques, Mumbai

Sir — Unsurprisingly, the most popular category of women on matrimonial sites is that of women who are unemployed and not interested in working — as many as 70 per cent of men respond to such profiles. This phenomenon is known as the ‘marriage market penalty’ and has deeply misogynistic roots. The anxiety is that a working woman will be too distracted from domestic work, child care, and other traditional duties that marriage bestows upon them. It is the same vein of discrimination that prompts women to leave work or turn down better career opportunities for ‘family reasons’.

Shreya Basu, Nainital

True pioneer

Sir — The adventures of Jim Corbett are fascinating (“LORD JIM: The man and his arms”, July 24). I consider myself fortunate to have travelled to the Jim Corbett National Park. Even though he was a hunter, his efforts to save endangered species, especially tigers, are legendary.

Alok Ganguly, Nadia

Stay safe

Sir — Yesterday was World Drowning Prevention Day. The occasion is meant to highlight the devastating impact of drowning on the families of survivors and communities while disseminating life-saving strategies to prevent such accidents. Research shows that an estimated 2,36,000 people die from drowning each year. Children and adolescents in rural areas are the most common victims. Drownings can often be prevented by taking relatively simple precautions, such as using pool covers and fencing ponds and waterbodies. Teaching children to swim and manning waterbodies are other necessary measures.

Vijaya Khede, Ujjain

Sir — Some of the guidelines outlined by the United Nations to prevent drowning include controlling access to water, training people in safe rescue and resuscitation, and enforcing safe boating, shipping and ferry regulations. What is striking is that no mention is made on the World Drowning Prevention Day of the thousands of refugees who drown at sea while undertaking perilous journeys to flee persecution.

Kavita Trivedi, Patna