Rings hollow
Sir — Money, it is said, cannot buy love. But for many people, nothing expresses love better than a big and expensive diamond ring. Gifting one’s partner something of great monetary value is seen as a sign of commitment. Historically, such a token would be a nest egg for the wife to fall back on if the husband died or deserted her. What happens, though, if the engagement is broken off? Overturning a decades-old law that forbade the partner at fault for the break up from getting the ring, a Massachusetts court recently ordered that the betrothal ring must be returned to the purchaser regardless of who was behind the separation. Perhaps this will finally uncouple the idea of expressing love and commitment in a relationship from the gifting of an expensive token.
Deboleena Sen,
Delhi
Divisive designs
Sir — At least four people were killed and scores injured when a mob opposing a court-appointed survey of the Jama Masjid in the Sambhal region of Uttar Pradesh clashed with security personnel. Some of the people accompanying the survey commission triumphantly chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ to provoke the protesters and the local police acted in a high-handed manner. Moreover, the rioters were apparently carrying knives and pistols which the law enforcement failed to prevent. This indicates that the violence was orchestrated (“Sambhal lens on ‘provocative’ chant, cop role”, Nov 26). Fearmogering and hate speeches by the Uttar Pradesh government helmed by the chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, have vitiated the atmosphere in the state.
Zakir Hussain,
Kazipet, Telangana
Sir — A civil court recently ordered a survey of the Jama Masjid in Sambhal based on a batch of pleas claiming that the Mughal emperor, Babur, built the mosque in 1529 after razing the Harihar Mandir. This raises concerns about the implementation of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which mandates the maintenance of the religious character of places of worship as they were on August 15, 1947, when India gained independence. Such petitions have become commonplace since the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Ramjanmabhoomi case and can worsen communal tension. The Supreme Court must prevent the alteration of the religious character of places of worship and uphold the constitutional principle of secularism.
Anshu Bharti,
Begusarai, Bihar
Sir — The high-handedness of the Uttar Pradesh police, which gave free rein to the rioters, is to blame for the violence in Sambhal. The Supreme Court must intervene in this matter to prevent such flare-ups.
Murtaza Ahmad,
Calcutta
Sir — India’s claim of communal harmony has come under the scanner owing to the recent violence at the Sambhal mosque. Such incidents jeopardise social cohesion. Politicians need to combat false information and hold offenders responsible.
Shayaque Moin,
Muzaffarpur
Sir — The dispute over a mosque in Sambhal is a repercussion of the 2022 Supreme Court verdict that said “finding the nature of the religious place” is not barred under the 1991 law. Targeting mosques and claiming them to be old Hindu temples allegedly razed by Mughal emperors is a tried-and-tested tactic of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to intimidate Muslims. Unfortunately, the law enforcement and the judiciary seem to have turned a blind eye to the sufferings of the minority community.
Aayman Anwar Ali,
Calcutta
Failed attempt
Sir — The 29th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held at Baku, Azerbaijan, was disappointing (“Missed chance”, Nov 26). It not only failed to bolster international efforts to restrict global warming but also failed to meet the expectations of developing nations, which are struggling to emerge from the economic slowdown due to the pandemic and the ongoing wars.
How can the CoP 29 put developed nations and developing nations on a par and expect the latter to do the heavy lifting when it comes to taking austere steps to battle climate change? With Donald Trump, a notorious climate-sceptic, back in power in the United States of America, the global effort to tackle climate change will be further derailed.
Bal Govind,
Noida
Sir — Billed as the ‘climate finance CoP’, the recent conference at Baku concluded with the adoption of an agreement that will provide developing countries $300 billion in climate aid annually by 2035. This falls way short of the $1.3 trillion required by developing countries to stave off global warming.
Disconcertingly, the target of contributing $100 billion in funding by 2020 set at CoP 15 in 2009 took developed nations much longer to meet. The $300 billion aid promised by 2035 could be a seed fund to draw more investment and push climate finances towards the $1.3 trillion figure, but the amount will come mostly in the form of loans, thereby freeing developing nations of their responsibility. Placing a disproportionate burden on developing nations does not augur well for the global fight against climate change.
M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
Fruit for thought
Sir — The report, “Banana art sells for $6 million at Sotheby’s” (Nov 22), was intriguing. The conceptual piece, Comedian — a banana duct-taped to a wall — designed by the Italian artist, Maurizio Cattelan, was recently auctioned off for $6.2 million at Sotheby’s. One wonders whether the artist was inspired by the Bengali word, kala, which stands for both artistic skill and banana. If so, then the auction was indeed a realisation of the idiom, ‘rath dekha kala becha’.
Sujit De,
Calcutta
