Save the saviour

Sir — In Greek mythology, Atlas is condemned to bear the weight of the world. The weight of a modern world ravaged by climate change, though, is being borne by a far more humble thing: mushrooms. A team of researchers recently used mushroom skin to make sustainable electronics. Easy to grow and needing few resources, mushrooms can do everything, from providing sustainable leather and being an alternative to meat to supporting mental health treatment and cleaning up devastating oil spills. Yet, there are no initiatives to conserve mushrooms anywhere in the world at present. This is worrying.

Sumedha Jhaveri, Calcutta

Be empathetic

Sir — The Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, was right when he said that India needed institutions of empathy more than institutions of eminence (“Amid IIT suicide pain, call for empathy”, Feb 26). The CJI also suggested some steps to stem the spate of suicides at eminent institutions like the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, where a Dalit student committed suicide recently. Empathy is key to maintaining social cohesion. In this context, the report, “Signals turn green, examinee on time” (Feb 26), was heartening. The police officer, Souvik Chakraborty, who helped a girl reach her examination centre when she was in trouble, embodies the empathy that the CJI was talking about.

Sujit De, Calcutta

Sir — The editorial, “Beyond labels” (Mar 1), expressed concern about the high rate of suicides among students from socially underprivileged backgrounds. Educational excellence is pointless without empathy and compassion. Eminent educational institutions have failed to offer a solution to student suicides. At the very least, they should follow the CJI’s advice and shun discriminatory behaviour.

Sukhendu Bhattacharjee, Hooghly

At war

Sir — It is unfortunate that governors appointed by the Centre are clashing with the elected dispensations in several states (“SC raps warring CM, governor”, Mar 1). Governance suffers when constitutional rules are abandoned. The apex court has reminded the chief minister and the governor of Punjab of their respective roles and their significance. Other states should pay heed to the court’s wisdom as well.

R. Narayanan, Navi Mumbai

Sir — The Supreme’s Court advice that governors and chief ministers must exhibit “mature statesmanship” is timely. It has become a pattern for the Bharatiya Janata Party to appoint former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh functionaries and favourites as governors. The governor of Tamil Nadu, R.N. Ravi, is a perfect example of this. All of these appointees interfere with elected state governments by refusing to give assent to their bills, sitting on important legislations, speaking against the policies of the government in public fora and so on. In such a situation, it can be difficult for chief ministers to display maturity and statesmanship.

Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai

Sir — Tussles between governors and Opposition parties in the states ruled by the latter are worsening. The fact that a state government had to approach the Supreme Court to summon a budget session of the legislative assembly is unheard of. This is a dangerous trend.

Sravana Ramachandran, Chennai

Sir — Constitutional functionaries cannot let rancour prevail over propriety. It is unfortunate that instances of one-upmanship between governors and chief ministers are becoming more frequent. Governors cannot stretch their discretion to areas not specifically mentioned in the Constitution.

S.S. Paul, Calcutta

Risky friendship

Sir — India needs to re-examine its relationship with Russia (“Tharoor’s G20 jab”, Feb 28). While it is true that Russia is a time-tested ally, international relations have undergone a sea change. Russia has inched closer to China, India’s bête noire, in order to counter the dominance of the United States of America. In the event of a Sino-Indian conflict, Russia is thus unlikely to be of any help. In fact, the US-led Western world is now closer to India. By refusing to take a strong stand against Russia, India risks alienating this bloc.

Aranya Sanyal, Siliguri

Look away

Sir — In 2023, gyms have become less about exercise and more about shooting social media reels. Exasperated members often find themselves tripping over the tripods of ‘gymfluencers’. Recently, a woman on TikTok was hounded off the platform by thousands of people blaming her for filming a man without his consent. She accused the man of wandering from machine to machine and watching girls while they worked out. But this is bound to happen if gym-going is turned into something that is all about visuals. People there either make videos to poke fun at people or for titillation.

Roshni Ojha, Howrah