Gilded paradise
Sir — The adage that money cannot buy happiness has become fallacious in the age of capitalism. No one can deny that when a wealthy businessman takes his swanky new car for a drive, he feels happy. The pocket pinch is furthest from his mind then. Fans of the English football club, Manchester City, are in a similar state of bliss. Their team is on the verge of winning a third consecutive league title, and has recently beaten Real Madrid to move one step closer to winning the coveted Uefa Champions League. They do not care how much it cost the club to sign the famous Norwegian striker, Erling Haaland.
Abhishek Mitra, Calcutta
Shunted out
Sir — It is natural to wonder whether Kiren Rijiju’s appointment as the Union minister for earth sciences is a demotion from his post as the law minister (“Doctor Papad brings Rijiju down to earth (sciences)”, May 19). His comments against the judiciary and the collegium system of appointing judges may have resulted in his removal from the law ministry. The appointment of Arjun Ram Meghwal, a Dalit leader from Rajasthan, as the new law minister can also be viewed as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s attempt to shore up support in the state that goes to polls this year.
Abhijit Roy, Jamshedpur
Sir — Kiren Rijiju’s exit from the Union law ministry was perhaps the only option left for the Centre to avoid a complete breakdown in the relationship between the executive and the judiciary. His remarks against judges and lawyers who have earned degrees from foreign universities were uncalled for.
M.N. Gupta, Hooghly
Sir — The Union law ministry is quickly turning into a poisoned chalice for members of the BJP. Earlier, Ravi Shankar Prasad was removed from the ministry within two years of the Narendra Modi-led government’s second term in office, and now it is Kiren Rijiju who has been dismissed. Rijiju’s policy of going hammer and tongs at the judiciary in order to try and bring it under the government’s control has not borne fruit.
P.K. Sharma, Barnala, Punjab
Spreading poison
Sir — Saffron outfits in New India routinely distort history (“Toxic agenda”, May 18). It is not surprising that those who destroyed the Babri Masjid based on unverified claims about Rama’s birth have now doctored the research of a reputed Canadian scholar, Alan Morinis, to support their erroneous argument about a Kumbh Mela being held at Tribeni in West Bengal once upon a time. Voters should unequivocally reject such misrepresentations of history that these divisive elements believe can help them win elections in Bengal.
Kajal Chatterjee, Calcutta
Sir — The Bharatiya Janata Party and the sangh parivar have no qualms about exploiting the religious sentiments of Hindus to win elections. There have been attempts to ‘revive’numerous other versions of the Kumbh Mela in places like Kurukshetra, but even the patronage of the then governor of Haryana, Satyadeo Narain Arya, failed to make the Kurukshetra Kumbh Mela a success. It seems that right-wing elements are stirring up such controversies again given the imminent 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Aiman Wasi, Darbhanga, Bihar
Parting shot
Sir — The editorial, “Painful bite” (May 18), is right in blaming West Bengal’s climate for the proliferation of vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue. We must remain alert and take adequate precautions against such pests to minimise fatalities.
Aranya Sanyal, Siliguri
