Troubled ties

Sir — The American professional basketball player, Brittney Griner, who was prosecuted on drug charges in Russia for carrying less than a gram of cannabis oil, was moved to a penal colony recently. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was arrested a week before Russia invaded Ukraine. Griner’s arrest has sparked widespread concern about wrongful detention that is being seen as a direct consequence of the support extended by the United States of America to Ukraine. While the US administration has been trying to secure Griner’s release for months, it seems increasingly unlikely. One would have hoped that Russia would treat ordinary citizens of foreign nations fairly, but it seems that is too much to ask.

Sarmistha Mazumder, Calcutta

Still strong

Sir — The Bharatiya Janata Party has bagged four out of seven seats in the bypolls held in Haryana, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha. The BJP wrested Adampur in Haryana from the Congress. The Grand Old Party failed to hold on to the Munugode seat as well which went to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi. The results of the bypolls must act as a warning to the new Congress chief, Mallikarjun Kharge. Overall, the voting trends indicate that the BJP is still going strong. The Rashtriya Janata Dal candidate may have won the Mokama seat in Bihar but her victory margin was cut by almost 50% compared to the last time. In Munugode, the battle was waged between the TRS and BJP candidates with the Congress contestant relegated to the backseat. This shows that the saffron party is steadily making inroads in Telangana. While the results indicate that the BJP is a favourite of the masses, there is still over a year left before the general elections. A lot can change by then.

K.V. Seetharamaiah, Bengaluru

Sir — Rutuja Latke, the Shiv Sena candidate fielded by the faction lead by Uddhav Thackeray, has won the Andheri East bypolls by a massive margin. This was the first election that the party faced after its split. Latke was expected to win as the BJP candidate had withdrawn from the race. In an unexpected twist, there were more votes for NOTA than all of the other candidates combined.

Bhagwan Thadani, Mumbai

Think anew

Sir — Reports indicate that the Indian Institutes of Technology are contemplating introducing an exit option of a two-year diploma for BTech students who are unable to cope with pressure. This comes in the light of rise of student suicides in these prestigious institutions. However, this idea may not pan out as envisioned. Many students may consider the idea of getting a diploma humiliating and compare themselves with their peers who are able to push through the stress. Moreover, what kind of jobs will these students get with a diploma? They would only be hired in junior positions and would have limited options going forward. This will lead to a whole host of new problems. The IITs could consider offering the students the option to move to MSc courses. This will help ease their stress without derailing their careers.

Kunal Kanti Konar, Calcutta

Crucial message

Sir — It was heartening to see a joint programme by the American consulate, Theatre Alliance, a Washingtonbased theatre group, and Banglanatakdotcom, a Calcutta headquartered social enterprise, showcase messages of oppression, inclusion and diversity at a play performed on the lawns of Victoria Memorial Hall (“A Global I.D.E.A. comes alive at Victoria”, Nov 4). Artists from the United States of America, India, Nepal and Bangladesh participated in the event. The play opened with 20 artists addressing the audience in their native languages talking about the uniqueness of a diverse crowd watching a demonstration on inclusivity in front of an iconic colonial structure, a symbol of exclusion. This message of diversity and inclusivity is very important in the contemporary world and will be even more vital in the years to come.

Khokan Das, Calcutta

Different opinions

Sir — Recently, the Goods and Services Tax Council’s law committee discussed the issues regarding definitions of ‘games of skill’ and ‘games of chance’ with technical domain specialists. The absence of clear definitions has been a matter of concern. Earlier this year, it was suggested that the online gaming sector should be taxed at 28%. Several states have argued that there should be a lower tax rate on those games that require skill and should not be treated at par with games of chance. However, they are two sides of the same coin. There should be clarity regarding the matter from the GST Council at the earliest to avoid further trouble.

Vijaykumar H.K., Raichur, Karnataka

Mysteries abound

Sir — It was interesting to know that a group of scientists have announced the discovery of the closest known black hole (“Closest known black hole found”, Nov 7). Situated at a distance of 1,600 light years — the closest known black hole so far was 3,000 light years away — this new-found black hole is dormant. Researchers used the Gemini North telescope atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii along with data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia spacecraft to make this discovery. This black hole — it has been named Gaia BH1 — is ten times weightier than our sun but is being circled by a similar star. We should hope that it remains at a safe distance without any implications for the earth.

Ashok Kumar Ghosh, Calcutta

Sir — The discovery of the Gaia BH1 black hole is an exciting development for all astronomy enthusiasts. There is so little we know about the universe.

Mrinmoy Jana, Calcutta