Hidden scars
Sir — Putting on make-up can be an act of self-expression as well as the donning of armour. Each era is defined by a specific look — the ‘clean girl’ aesthetics dominates the 21st century. But some make-up looks also make a comeback. The ‘mob wife’ look, for instance, is the latest rage among make-up artists and influencers. However, this harking back to the classic look of the wives of influential mobsters from the 1960s — seemingly authoritative and flamboyant women — misses a finer point. Loud and layered make-up was often used to hide signs of abuse — smoky eyes and bright lips were usually testaments to spousal violence. Should we then delve deeper into the ‘mob wife’ look to see if women continue to hide their scars?
Minakshi Sen, Calcutta
Promises made
Sir — The Bharatiya Janata Party’s election manifesto, Sankalp Patra, unveiled by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, was predictable (“One civil code, one poll, silence on NRC”, April 15). It reiterated the party’s much-touted agendas and policies. Despite claiming to be favourably disposed towards women, farmers, the youth and the poor, the manifesto has no concrete plan for them. There is no additional guarantee for women’s security or any proposal to adopt a minimum support price for farmers. The promise to implement a uniform civil code is a long-time Hindutva project. The BJP also remains non-committal about a caste census, social justice and wealth equality. The Congress manifesto, in comparison, seems more focused on development.
G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
Sir — In times of global unrest, it is of utmost importance to have a stable government. The BJP’s Sankalp Patra promises such stability. The manifesto has been planned keeping an eye on the future. The next 10 years will be crucial for the country.
C.K. Subramaniam, Navi Mumbai
Sound and silence
Sir — The editorial, “All things aural” (April 14), underscored modern civilisation’s growing inability to differentiate between pandemonium and ambient sounds. While some might find the ticking of a clock too loud, others have no qualms about blaring music without headphones in public places. Moreover, the same music played by a disco jockey might enthuse a young crowd but dismay older people. It is unfortunate that quiet places are going extinct just like starry nights, as is the fact that sounds from our childhood, such as the calls of hawkers, are fading away too.
Sukhendu Bhattacharjee, Hooghly
Sir — It was once common for people to immerse themselves in bird calls. However, with the growing loss of avian species, one can no longer hear them chirping. Silence is now frightening for we have gotten used to the cacophony around us. Silence is important to appreciate the sounds of nature.
Anthony Henriques, Mumbai
Sir — While nature has always communicated with humans, modern lifestyle does not allow us to enjoy natural sounds and smells. But avoiding noise in a mechanised, urban setting is difficult. We must try to appreciate silence. France, for example, had passed a ‘sensory heritage’ law to protect the sounds and the smells of its countryside.
Vijay Singh Adhikari, Nainital
Sir — Machines have led to humans losing their sense of aural aesthetics. Perhaps that is why newcomers to the French countryside have been taking their neighbours to courts, claiming that the sounds of everyday rural activities interrupt the “pastoral quiet”. France is known for its art and culture and such incidents are thus doubly disappointing.
Sanjit Ghatak, Calcutta
Sir — Incessant noise prevents people from appreciating the finer hum of daily life. But one must try to find music even in the chaos. A vendor’s call or a locksmith’s jingling keys are sounds that make up an urbanscape and must be appreciated.
Vinay Asawa, Howrah
Saffron bias
Sir — The changes incorporated by the National Council of Educational Research and Training in the history, sociology and political science textbooks for classes VI to XII present a partisan view of events and are not supported by scholarly evidence. The exclusion of the Aryan migration theory and the revised depictions of the Ayodhya dispute and the Mandal Commission report are concerning.
Classrooms are spaces for enquiry and exploration of diverse perspectives. The revised textbooks are proof of the politicisation of education. The NCERT must ensure that textbooks are free from political bias.
Vishal Mayur, Bengaluru
Social registers
Sir — Ritwik Ghatak’s films are like documentaries (“The luminosity of the ‘dhaka tara’”, April 14). The psychological trauma of Partition is the crux of his major films. Nita’s heart-wrenching cry, “Dada, ami bnachte chai!”, in Meghe Dhaka Tara reflects the woes of the millions of refugees who were rendered homeless by Partition. Ghatak’s films continue to be studied by critics decades after they were made.
Tushar Kanti Das, East Burdwan
Parting shot
Sir — According to the World Cybercrime Index prepared by cybercrime experts, India ranks 10th globally in cybercrimes. China ranks third in the world and the United States of America fourth on the same index. Cybercrime is a global menace and we must thus be alert.
Dattaprasad Shirodkar, Mumbai
