Beyond tokenism

Sir — Being in a public place alone at night can be terrifying for women. We often have to learn survival skills and abide by unwritten rules when it comes to ensuring our own safety. Hearteningly, a recent campaign called ‘Girls Night Out’, organised by a legislator in Kerala, encouraged women to step out after sundown and enjoy the nightlife in Muvattupuzha, where the streets usually go quiet in the evening. While this is a noble initiative, one wonders if it can improve the situation on the ground. India needs more than tokenism to make the streets safer for almost half of its population.

Nikita Tandon, Calcutta

In crisis

Sir — Liz Truss has resigned as the prime minister of the United Kingdom after just 45 days in office owing to the political and economic turmoil in the country triggered by her radical reforms. Truss’s announcement of widespread tax cuts funded by borrowing, deregulation and an energy prize freeze as part of a mini-budget last month drove up mortgage costs for millions of people, precipitating a domestic crisis. This caused a rebellion within the Conservative Party, ultimately leading to her exit. The failures of the Truss government must be a lesson for future leaders of the country, which has failed to cope with the fallouts of Brexit. The selection of Truss’s successor has become a challenge for the Tories. The former chancellor of the exchequer, Rishi Sunak, is expected to be in the fray (“Bookies for Rishi, foes hone knives”, Oct 21). It remains to be seen whether Sunak gets a chance to lift the British economy out of the quagmire.

Sravana Ramachandran, Chennai

Sir — The swift exit of Liz Truss amid the economic mess in Britain is an instance of a country holding its leader accountable. Unfortunately, this is not true for India where the incumbent prime minister, Narendra Modi, is yet to answer for the economic chaos that was unleashed in the country after the demonetisation in 2016 (“If Lettuce Liz is a joke, are we DeMo dolts?”, Oct 21). The issues plaguing the Indian economy — unemployment, inflation, weakening currency — are similar to those of the UK. However, India’s ruling dispensation seems reluctant to address the looming catastrophe.

Amit Brahmo, Calcutta

Sir — Liz Truss’s resignation can severely impact the proposed free trade agreement between Britain and India, the foundation of which was laid by her. Moreover, the former home secretary, Suella Braverman, who also resigned recently, had raised concerns about the deal, linking it to immigration from India. As far as the fate of the trade deal is concerned, in view of the internal problems in UK, India has no option but to wait and watch.

Bhagwan Thadani, Mumbai

At risk

Sir — Elephant populations in Asia and Africa are being greatly endangered owing to habitat fragmentation, poaching and illegal trade. In spite of a ban on ivory trade, poaching continues with impunity in places across the world that have significant elephant populations. A comprehensive international conservation policy is needed to save elephants from possible extinction. Only collective effort can make a difference. Raising awareness among people is also crucial to minimise elephant deaths.

Saikat Kumar Basu, Calcutta

Think again

Sir — West Bengal has declared Bhratridwitiya as a public holiday this year onwards. The Mamata Banerjee government has been increasing the list of sanctioned holidays arbitrarily to keep employees in good humour. This will have a negative impact on the work culture in the state.

Arun Gupta, Calcutta